Archives

Stabilization Splints May Worsen Obstructive Sleep Apnea

August 14th, 2013 (No Comments)

This article deals with the question of whether the stabilization splint, which is commonly used for treating TMDs and bruxism, may pose a risk of worsening obstructive sleep apnea in patients with that condition. While a few earlier studies have touch…

No Connection: TMD, Body Posture & Dental Occlusion

August 7th, 2013 (No Comments)

Patients should be cautious when considering TMD treatments that claim to provide relief by correcting occlusal and postural abnormalities. Not only can these treatments be extensive and expensive, but, more importantly, scientific literature does not…

When It Hurts to Chew

July 31st, 2013 (No Comments)

As many TMD patients know, it often hurts to bite down hard on foods, so they resort to a soft diet and less strenuous bite forces when their TMD pain kicks in. Now, a team of investigators led by Dr. Wolfgang Liedtke at Duke University Medical Center…

TMD: Why It’s Not Just a Pain in the Jaw

June 28th, 2013 (No Comments)

Dr. William Maixner and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), School of Dentistry, currently involved in the multi-center Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study of TMD, have taken a secon…

Exploring the Temporomandibular Joint: NIH Sponsors Round Table

May 30th, 2013 (No Comments)

For many years the TMJA has asked agencies of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to convene a meeting to assess what we know about the TM joint and to determine gaps in our knowledge. On May 3, 2013, the NIH held a scientific round table of expert…

Can the Brain Make TMD Worse?

April 17th, 2013 (No Comments)

The chronic pain of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) can be debilitating and interfere significantly with daily life.
read more

Estrogen’s Impact on TMD Pain Your Responses

April 17th, 2013 (No Comments)

In our March 2013 issue of TMJ News Bites we asked: “Do you notice any difference in the level of Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) pain and discomfort you experience depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle?” Here is what you had to say:

“Yes I sure do, right before I start my period is when I have my worst TMJ pain.” L.M.

read more

Brain Signals Help the Spread of Persistence of Pain

April 17th, 2013 (No Comments)

Neuroscientists have long sought to explain how recovery from an acute injury can sometimes give rise to chronic pain—and not always in the area of injury. Now, a team at the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences at the University of Maryland, …

Electric Stimulation of the Brain to Relieve Pain

April 17th, 2013 (No Comments)

It has been known for decades that the brain has its own pain-relieving chemicals. They are called endogenous “opioids,” because of their similarity to opium-derived drugs like morphine. These opioids are released in the brain in response t…

Don’t be Fooled By False Claims

April 1st, 2013 (No Comments)

Health fraud scams can do more than waste your money. They can cause serious injury or even death, says Gary Coody, R.Ph., the FDA’s national health fraud coordinator. “Using unproven treatments can delay getting a potentially life-saving d…