Ten to fifteen percent of adults have tinnitus and while most doctors tell their patients to live with the condition because there is no cure, Dr. Mehmet Oz suggests that anyone afflicted with tinnitus get a total medical and dental exam because tinnitus can sometimes signal other problems, including jaw disorders. Dr. Oz feels that eliminating them can eliminate the noise.

The doctor is correct in pointing out that jaw problems such as TMJ disorders can cause tinnitus. Many of our TMJ patients report hearing ringing or chirping in their ears and often report a feeling of “fullness” in their ears. The good news is that TMJ problems can be treated. Your Columbus, Ohio treatment center for TMJ problems is StoneRidge Dental Care where Dr. Mark Levy will put his advanced LVI neuromuscular training to work diagnosing and treating your TMJ disorder.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, headaches, jaw clicking, facial or neck pain please contact us today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your consultation.

Continual headaches or migraines, especially in the morning, may be a sign of temporomandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ. The temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is the joint that connects your lower jaw with your skull and is one of the most complex in the human body. A common cause of TMJ pain is a poor bite which is also called malocclusion.

Malocclusion can occur for many reasons. Teeth may not fit together properly because of old, broken dental work,  teeth may be missing or misaligned. A dentist who has specialized training in neuromuscular dentistry has the ability to correct the improper bite and relieve stress on the temporomandibular joint. This relieves the recurring headaches and the neck and shoulder pain that often accompany them.

If you suffer from frequent, recurring headaches please contact StoneRidge Dental Care in Columbus, OH at 614-476-6696 today. Freedom from headache pain is within your reach.

Normally, 10 to 15 percent of people grind but during the economic downturn many dentists who treat bruxism have seen an increase in stress-related grinding. Traditionally, grinding appears in middle-age and women have typically been the ones seeking treatment. Today however, more neuromuscular dentists are reporting an increase in male patients.

The damage caused by untreated bruxism can be severe. Normal chewing puts about 68 pounds of pressure per square inch on the back teeth, grinding unconsciously at night can cause up of 900 pounds of pressure. Little wonder that teeth break and wear down. This pressure also causes inflammation and damage to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) leading to facial pain, jaw clicking and headaches.

The treatment for bruxism? For many cases a custom orthotic (sometimes called a night guard) protects the teeth from wear and places the jaw in a position that reduces stress on the temporomandibular joint. For patients who have been grinding their teeth for a long time a full-mouth reconstruction may be needed to correct the damage.

In the Columbus area your neuromuscular dentist is Dr. Mark Levy at StoneRidge Dental Care. Please contact us today at 614-476.6696 if you are experiencing the signs of tooth grinding. Speedy treatment will allow us to stop further damage and start the healing process.

One often overlooked reason for migraine headache is tooth grinding during sleep. This condition is known as bruxism and has several causes. Some bruxism starts with stress or anxiety, for others it may be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder and for many it is characteristic of  a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).   The temporomandibular joint or jaw joint is among the most complex in the human body.

Chronic grinding and clenching of the teeth usually occurs during sleep and most patients do not know they are grinding. More than half of adults grind or clench occasionally but even children suffer from bruxism. Obvious side effects of grinding are severe headache, often misdiagnosed as migraines, worn and broken teeth, clicking in the jaw and severe neck and facial pain.

Treatment for TMJ disorders may include a custom orthotic device that protects the teeth and jaw muscles while sleeping. An experience neuromuscular dentist can diagnose and suggest appropriate treatment for bruxism and TMJ disorders.

To find out more information about solving your headache problem once and for all please contact our Columbus area office at 614-476-6696 today.

Whatever the cause the outcome is usually the same. Bruxism causes the teeth to wear down and the stress on the jaw joint leads to temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction (TMJ) with symptoms including facial pain, headache, neck and back pain and even changes in hearing. Over time the teeth continue to wear which changes the bite, which adds to the stress on the jaw joint and can also include damage to the gums and facial muscles. Since stopping bruxism from happening is almost impossible, the answer lies in protecting the teeth, TMJ and muscles with a bruxism appliance created by a neuromuscular dentist.

A neuromuscular dentist is someone who has advanced training in how the musculature of the head and neck work together with the jaw joint and teeth. By finding the optimal position for your jaw and creating a custom appliance that will hold your jaw in that position during sleep the damage from bruxism can be avoided. For those patients who have already experienced severe damage to their teeth from this condition a full mouth restoration may be the answer.

If you are experiencing frequent headaches, facial or jaw pain you may be grinding your teeth. Early intervention is vital to protecting the health of your teeth and jaw joint. Please contact our office at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your evaluation.

Migraines or frequent, continual headaches may be a sign of temporomandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ. This is especially true of headaches that occur in the morning.  The temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is one of the most complex in the human body. Common causes of TMJ pain include accidents, bruxism (grinding teeth at night) or a bad bite (malocclusion).

Malocclusion can occur for many reasons. Teeth may not fit together properly because of old, broken dental work, misaligned teeth or missing teeth. A dentist who has specialized training in the field of neuromuscular dentistry has the ability to correct the improper bite and relieve stress on the temporomandibular joint, allowing the muscles surrounding the joint to relax. This relieves the recurring headaches and the neck and shoulder pain that often accompany them.

If you suffer from frequent, recurring headaches please contact StoneRidge Dental Care at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your appointment for a TMJ evaluation.

Students often have busy schedules, poor eating and sleeping habits and can find themselves extremely stressed, especially during exam time. All of these add up to more dental problems than they ever had back in high school. While teeth may be brushed twice a day (hopefully), most kids don’t take the time to floss. Toss in the high sugar soft drinks and coffee concoctions that are imbibed all day long and the high carbohydrate diet and you have given oral bacteria everything they need to thrive.

The stress of school may also cause some students to start grinding or clenching their teeth. If your student complains of frequent headaches, jaw noises or pain, a funny feeling in the ears, neck or facial pain this could be the reason. Left untreated, this grinding (known as bruxism) can wear down the teeth and cause severe problems with the jaw joint.  A neuromuscular dentist can treat the bruxism before any long-term damage is done.

Please contact us today at 614-7476-6696 to schedule an appointment for your student. The summer will be over before you know it!

A neuromuscular dentist uses various high tech diagnostic tools including computerized jaw tracking to find the optimal positioning for your jaw, a position in which the muscles are relaxed. To maintain this optimal positioning you may be fitted with an custom oral appliance or you may require replacement of old dental restorations or worn teeth.

If you suffer from chronic headaches you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Please contact your Columbus area neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Mark Levy at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your consultation.

• Do you snore?
• Do you feel tired all day long?
• Ever fallen asleep while driving?
• Do you wake up with headaches and a sore throat?

Answering yes to several of the screening questions similar to the ones listed may suggest that you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)  and your dentist may refer you to a sleep specialist to determine a definite diagnosis.

Why would your dentist worry about your sleep?  As with many medical problems that have a dental link (such as oral bacteria being linked to strokes and heart attack) so is obstructive sleep apnea.  The link between dentistry and OSA, however, involves the treatment of the disease and its side effects.

Patients with sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep because the soft palate collapses and blocks the upper airway.  The most common treatment is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) which involves wearing a breathing mask to sleep.  Most patients find sleep with the CPAP difficult and fewer than half the patients prescribed the device actually use it.

Sleep apnea dental appliances are recommended for patients who are intolerant of CPAP.  The dental appliance keeps the airway open by gently moving the jaw forward which keeps the airway open during sleep.  Studies show that a higher percentage of patients continue treatment using the dental appliance.

Only dentists who are specially trained in dental sleep medicine can fit an oral sleep apnea appliance.  Dentists who treat OSA patients should also be trained and experienced in neuromuscular dentistry to ensure that the patient’s jaw joints and facial muscles work well with the appliance.

In the Columbus, Ohio please contact my office at 614-476-6696 to schedule your sleep apnea consultation.  You deserve a good night’s sleep!

One posting noted:  “Certainly it affects some people ‘cos at least two of of us on this list have changes. Mine are on the point of making chewing impossible and it is 100% caused by CPAP mask pressure.  I have been on CPAP at least 7 years.  However, as you say, CPAP is a life saver so that means working with it rather than giving up. Unthinkable to give up even if I must puree my food.”

These comments, along with this study, simply underline the need for a team effort in the treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.  Even for the minority of patients fortunate enough to tolerate CPAP therapy should be visiting a dentist regularly.  Hopefully they are visiting a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine and one with experience diagnosing and treating temporomandibular joint dysfunction.  Having your dentist monitor your jaw and bite can help prevent problems like the ones afflicting the lady who wrote the post about pureeing her food.

If you are unable to tolerate CPAP therapy don’t despair of treating your OSA.  Oral appliance therapy is a good option for mild to moderate sleep apnea and may be used in more severe cases when the patient is CPAP intolerant.

Please contact my Gahanna, Ohio office at 614-476-6696 today for more information regarding diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.