Thoughts of Eleanor Roosevelt
My first video blog!
Do that thing you cannot do. Go out and do it today!
Bruce C. McArthur, DDS
6565 West Jewell Ave.
Suite 9
Lakewood, CO 80232
303-935-9448
Tug of War Headaches
When was the last time you watched (or pulled) in a Tug of War? Did you notice the rope? It was probably pulled so tight it looked more like a bar of iron!
Some people get muscles pulled that tightly in their head! Understandably, this can lead to some whopper headaches. Let’s look at how this might happen…
Your lower jaw hinges on two points, which together we call the Temporomandibular Joint, or TMJ. Each side of the lower jaw has a football shaped end that fits into a socket in the base of your skull. There is also a small disk that keeps the bones from hitting each other; think of a Teflon pad to keep things moving smoothly. There are major muscles that pull your lower jaw up, bringing your teeth together, so you can chew your food. When you are not eating, but resting your teeth and jaw, the footballs should rest comfortably in their sockets.
When you close your teeth together, you have a favorite “bite” where all the points and grooves fit together ideally. In a perfect world, when you are in this position, the footballs are in their most comfortable position too. But too often, both can’t be happy at the same time, and a war breaks out. Some muscles want to pull the jaw up and back so the footballs are happy, and other muscles want to pull the jaw forward to make the teeth mesh together better. See the Tug of War starting? When these muscles are continually fighting each other, many problems start up, but often the most noticeable is HEADACHE!
There are some relatively simple techniques we can use to see if you have headaches caused by this type of Tug of War. The solutions may be surprisingly easy too! So if you or those you know have chronic headaches, give us a call!
Germany
A great patient told me a wonderful story this week:
She and her husband were able to take a vacation to Europe, and among other destinations, were able to visit a small town in Germany. Her father had been in the service there 50 years ago, when she was 5 years old. They lived off-base in this little town. So now she headed back to see what it looked like now.
They got settled in a nice hotel, and when the crowd in the dining area thinned out, she pulled out a picture of her with some of her playmates when she was 5. She told the waitress her history, and to her surprise, the waitress grabbed her by the arm, raced her out of the building, and on a couple more blocks. There she pointed out a door; “that’s where you need to visit tomorrow!” (It was too late at night for a visit then.)
The next morning, she knocked on what she thought was the door the waitress had indicated. The door was opened by a nice gentleman, who when he saw the picture, pointed to one of the children and said “That was me! You need to go to the house next door!”
There an older man opened the door… she showed him the picture, and he looked at her and called her by name! He was the young householder when they lived in that house 50 years ago! And he remembered her name! He gave them a tour of the house, pointing out the flat where they lived, including not only her old bedroom, but the same bed she ’d slept in! They had a good time catching up and going over old pictures.
When they got home, they shared the experience and the photos with her father, who was in very poor health. Sadly, in a matter of days, he passed away. But what a beautiful way to relish some old memories!
Live life now. Don’t wait to get together with friends, mend broken friendships, spend time with the folks, whatever. Live!
We CARD all adults!
Many people think fluoride is just for kids… that once their permanent teeth are in, fluoride has no further benefits. Well, let’s play MythBusters here and debunk this misunderstanding!
Here is an easy way to think of some of the benefits fluoride can provide for all teeth, whether they are attached to adults or children:
Cavity reduction. This is probably the best known benefit of fluoride treatments.
Antimicrobial action. A fancy way of saying interfering with microorganisms which do your teeth harm!
Reinforcing enamel. By Remineralization of tooth structure, making it more resistant to decay (see “C” above)
Desensitizing teeth. Stronger teeth can be less sensitive teeth.
Fluoride is brought to an ideal concentration in most city water systems. This systemic fluoride intake is valuable, especially for developing teeth. The American Dental Association recommends additional fluoride treatments be applied to the teeth of people in medium to higher risk categories for dental decay. This includes people who have had new cavities or decay around old fillings within the last three years. If a person has not had either of those problems, maybe fluoride treatments can help them avoid them!
So in short, we see the value in fluoride treatments for all teeth! So… we now offer to CARD all adults!
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