TMJ Syndrome

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Temporo mandibular joint syndrome or tmj syndrome is a complex problem affecting not only the tmj but the head in general.Although the combination of symptoms affect mostly the mandibular joint.Due to the complex possible causes of the syndrome,a joint patient management of the dentist,physical therapist and physician is needed.This is to insure a thorough investigation and therefor better management and relief of the symptoms.

The common tmj syndrome symptoms  are  usually the following:
1.Pain felt in the temporo mandibular joint.
2.Patient complains of trismus or difficulty of opening one's mouth.
3.Lock jaw.Sometimes the patient just yawned and he can't close his mouth anymore.
4.Clicking sound is heard when the patient closes or opens his mouth.
5.There is pain on palpation of the muscles near the ears and temporal areas.

These are some possible causes of tmj syndrome resulting  in the pain and discomfort of the patient.
1.Stress.
2.Abnormality in the dental occlusion. 
3.Hypermobile temporo mandibular joint.
4.Unusual oral habits like repeated teeth clenching,bruxism etc.
5.Trauma to the tmj.

These are possible tmj syndrome pain relief.Application of any combination of these maybe needed to alleviate the symptoms.
1.Analgesics to relieve pain.
2.Warm compress to be applied to the area.
3.Exercises for the tmj which needs to be done at home by the patient.
4.Avoiding stress that could trigger unwanted oral habits.
5.The correction of malocclusions with the use of oral splints if appropriate.
6.Antidepressant drugs.
7.Physiotherapy like the use of short wave diathermy.
8.Adjustments of occlusion where needed.
9.Surgery on the tmj.

As was mentioned earlier,tmj syndrome  is  a result of different factors.It is therefor a challenge for the doctor to find the right combination of treatment. Also patient cooperation in doing the necessary tmj exercises at home is important.These will usually lead to relief if not diminished tmj syndrome symptoms.

Tips About Denture Care and Denture Care Products

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Denture care is needed to maintain your dental prosthesis so that it will last long.Dentures are costly so you would want to make the most of what you have paid for.Just like your natural teeth,dentures needs cleaning after every meal.Whether your denture is all acrylic,metal or a combination of both,these are not immune to stains and calculus.Nicotine can also stain dentures just like how it  does to natural teeth.If dental plaque stays too long on the denture surfaces,it will later harden.It will be difficult to remove with just brushing.So you will have to bring your denture to your dentist for cleaning.With few simple steps you could easily prevent the build up of dirt in your denture to save you that visit to the dentist.
There are denture care products advertised to help you in your denture care.But depending  on the type of denture you are using,you can not use just any denture cleaner product.You have to read the label carefully.Here are some guidelines for you to follow in choosing denture care products.
1.If your denture has some metal components,don't use products containing sodium hypochlorite.It will corrode the metal in your denture.
2.Denture cleaners which contain peroxides could discolor the acrylic in dentures.
3.Powder cleaners should be used gently as this can abrade your denture resulting to rough surfaces Stains and plaques are easily retained by rough surfaces.
4.Denture care products with some percentage of acids like hydrochloric acids will corrode metals.
So what is the best denture care ? Brushing your denture every after meal is the most basic denture maintenance you can do.You can use tooth paste.Be sure to brush you denture thoroughly to remove food particles on all surfaces.Do this over a basin of water.Just in case the denture will slip from your hand,it will not break because of the water in the basin.Regular thorough denture cleaning will prevent plaque to harden into calculus.Food stains from collecting on dentures and regular cleaning will prevent bad odor on your denture.People usually resort to denture cleaners when they notice discolorations and calculus.Problems that could have been easily prevented.Sometimes the calculus and stains can not be removed by denture cleaner products alone so the denture needs to be cleaned in the dental lab.
Using dentures to replaced natural teeth does not mean we could relax in our oral hygiene.Both needs proper care to serve us well.Every time we open our mouth to talk or simply to smile,we want to do it with confidence.If we practice proper denture care,we will always have that confidence.

How to Use Teeth Whitening Strips?

Image via WikipediaThere are many over the counter tooth whitening materials and people ask how to use teeth whitening strips properly.This type of teeth whitening product comes in strips rather than gel.Some may find this more convenient because the gel could be more messy.
Dental stains are the reasons people wants to use whitening products.But not all kinds of dental stain could be remove by  these products.It is more effective in extrinsinc stains.Stains found on tooth surfaces only.These stains are caused by  certain foods like tea,coffee,red wine, tomato sauce and other highly colored fruits and vegetables.Stains could also be due to plaque accumulation and stained by the eaten food.Nicotine  stains tooth surface too.

So how to use teeth whitening strips?
1.One box contains enough strips for upper and lower teeth.Begin on the upper teeth.Find the strips marked upper teeth
2.Peel the clear plastic backing.
3.Adapt the gel side to the tooth surface well and tuck the remaining end to the back of the teeth.
4.Wait for 30 minutes for the gel to take effect.
5.After 30 minutes,rinse to remove excess whitening agent from your mouth.
6.Repeat this on all your teeth.Do your upper teeth first before the lower for convenience.
7.You may repeat this after 6 months.

After using teeth whitening strips,you may need to avoid eating those food that could discolor your teeth again.Avoid smoking.Maintain good oral hygiene by regular tooth brushing to prevent plaque accumulation.In the presence of calculus,you need to visit your dentist for oral prophylaxis.Since dental calculus can only be removed using special dental instruments  and  machine.Eat balanced,nutritious diet for  good  health.After all, knowing how to use teeth whitening strips is just a part of sustaining esthetics and good oral health.



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What is Immediate Denture?

Image via WikipediaImmediate dentures are prosthesis which are used to replace any number of teeth and is inserted on the day of tooth extraction.The impression or measurement is usually done before the teeth are extracted.
Reasons for immediate dentures
1.Esthetics.The patient usually can not afford to wait for the healing process of the extraction wound before construction of new denture.
2.Patients need their teeth to chew  food.Eating could be difficult with out one's teeth.
3.Psychological reasons.
4.The immediate dentures are used to help stabilize the wound after tooth extraction.
Immediate dentures could have its problems too.And patients should be informed by their dentist.Therefor the patient will know what to expect should they decide on immediate denture rather than the normal denture.
1.The patient may experience post extraction pains and  more discomfort from the new denture.
2.The immediate denture needs frequent adjustment as the wound heals.
3.The denture will eventually become loose once the wounds have healed so denture repair  or reline is needed.
4.The denture may need to be replaced later on for better esthetics and function so it will be an added cost for the patient.
5.Retention is a problem in immediate dentures.

The extraction of one's teeth  could be daunting.The transition period between losing one's teeth and denture insertion is the most difficult for the patient especially in terms of esthetics and function.So inspite of the problems to be encountered later on ,immediate denture is still seen as a solution.