fbpx
Your Guide To Doctors, Health Information, and Better Health!
Your Health Magazine Logo
The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Maribel Vann, DDS
Teeth Grinding and Related Pain
. http://drmaribelvann.com/

Teeth Grinding and Related Pain

In 1993, I was constantly experiencing pain in my right hip that radiated into my right ovary area. I had exploratory surgery performed the same year but the procedure left many unanswered questions. No one could explain to my satisfaction as to why I was experiencing so much pain in my right hip and my right ovary area. My gynecologist finally diagnosed endometriosis. I was told that I would eventually need to have a complete hysterectomy if the pain intensified; I was 35 years old at the time.

In August 2000, the pain persisted. Through business resources, I was introduced to a colleague who treated patients who had the same symptoms as me. After his evaluation, he confirmed that my bite was causing these painful problems due to unleveled jaw bones. The following year I underwent treatment that consisted of leveling my jaw bones by wearing the alternative lightwire functional (ALF) appliances in my mouth.

The ALF is a conservative form of treatment that gently moves the jawbones. This movement, which is hardly noticeable to the patient, corrects jaw distortion that could be the cause of chronic headaches, neck, shoulder, hip and back pain, ringing in the ears, vertigo and dizziness, motion sickness, teeth grinding and clenching, breathing problems, and TMJ problems.

Symptoms attributed to TMJ problems are varied and include, but are not limited to clicking sounds in the jaw, headaches, closing or locking of the jaw due to muscle spasms or a displaced disc, pain in the ears, face and neck, and the most common symptom bruxism (clenching or grinding of the teeth).

As a result of this treatment, my symptoms completely disappeared and my bite was corrected. Since completing the treatment, I am free of motion sickness that I had lived with for 20 years. My hip and foot pain, neck pain, and the numbness in my left arm disappeared. I no longer clench my teeth and the popping and clicking on my jaw joints has disappeared as well.

I was so impressed with the results of the treatment that I incorporated it into my own practice. The ALF appliance is designed to conform and correct cranial distortions and it is worn in the mouth. As with most basic laws of physics, for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When distortion is found in one area, it is accommodated throughout the system and reverberates itself as mechanical compensations throughout the body. With this in mind, cranial lesions and jaw distortions must first be corrected in order to establish long-term stability of the head, neck, shoulder, spine and pelvis.

Appliances designed just to correct teeth when cranial distortions exist is really treating only the symptom rather than the underlying cause or the original strain pattern. Without a clear understanding of the mechanics of the head and neck, harmony and balance of the whole body cannot be achieved along with relief and permanent correction of these symptoms. I have been able to successfully treat a number of patients who are now symptom free.

Questions To See If You Might Have a TMJ Problem

1. Do you have frequent headaches?

2. Do you hear popping, clicking or cracking sounds when you chew?

3. Do you hear a grating sound when you chew?

4. Do you have stuffiness, pressure or blockage in your ears?

5. Do you experience dizziness frequently?

6. Do your jaws feel like they catch?

7. Do your jaws feel tight, or difficult to open?

8. Does it appear that you cant open your mouth as wide as you used to?

9. Does your tongue go between your teeth or do you bite on your tongue to separate your teeth?

10. Do your teeth ache?

11. Are your teeth sensitive, especially to cold temperatures?

12. Do you wake with sore facial muscles?

13. Do you clench or grind your teeth during movements of frustration or concentration?

14. Do you grind your teeth at night?

15. Do your ears hurt?

16. Does it hurt to move your jaw sideways?

17. Does your neck, back of your head, or shoulder hurt?

www.yourhealthmagazine.net
MD (301) 805-6805 | VA (703) 288-3130