On occasion, sleep apnea sufferers will bring a whole packet of information from an overnight sleep study in a laboratory. It’s called a PSG for short, or a polysomnogram.

This is where someone has about eighteen leads of all kinds hooked up to your body, and you go to sleep in a strange bed, in a strange place with strange people watching you on television cameras, and they say, “OK, have a good night’s sleep.” Which can be a bit intimidating, but when you’ve got obstructive sleep apnea, you fall asleep like that.

Another option that is available at a Phoenix Holistic Dentist office is a small device that is hooked to your hand. There are two probes, one goes on your ring finger and one goes on your index finger. It is called a watch PAT; stands for Peripheral Arterial Tenography.

PAT gives several different parameters, which are enough information to diagnose basic sleep apnea. If you’re looking to diagnose sleep apnea, PAT has been found to be as accurate as any overnight sleep study. And the cost difference is incredible; it is about $1, 800 if you go to a PSG overnight someplace in a hospital or private stand alone sleep lab versus $375 for the PAT which gives the same results.

The other thing that we do and when we’re looking at a sleep apnea situation is we use a device called a Pharyngometer. What it is, it’s a device that you put it up to your mouth, and it shoots sound waves. Like sonar.

It basically shoots sound waves down into your throat and then it reads them back as they reflect back. There are little microphones inside this tube device that it picks up and it gives you a visual, two dimensional “map” of your throat area.

So what we as holistic dentists, do with that information is we play with a person’s jaw position. First off, we simulate their nighttime sleep. What can we force through a forced expiration and what kind of collapse in the airway will occur.

This is all computer-generated, so then what we do then is we’ll take that information and we can freeze the screen on the computer. Then we’ll have them move their jaw, replicate that same position and we’ll look to see what kind of collapse they have. What we’re looking for is a significant improvement.

The watchPAD, gives us a nice concise two‑page report. And we have this read by a certified sleep doctor. For me as a holistic dentist, I can interpret the numbers and say, I think you have sleep apnea, but I have a board certified sleep doctor that signs off on these tests.

What is interesting to watch while it is happening because you can see the sound wave as it is shooting it and it starts to create the line as it is feeding back the sound wave as it is coming back to the microphone.

Then what we do is we play with jaw position and move the jaw back and forth, and we’re looking for these numbers to change. For example there is a base line, to our collapse. There’s a compliance rate of 45 percent. The airway tube for this example is shrinking 45 percent. 45 percent, that’s huge. They are cutting off a tremendous amount of life sustaining oxygen to that person when they’re sleeping.

A dental appliance, or oral appliances or also called “oral dilators” are an option to open up the airway of the sleep apnea suffer. We want to dilate and open up the airway.

And there many different oral dilator appliances in the dental marketplace but one of the newer versions that I haven’t used it yet though I like the concept, is the SomnoMed. It is a two‑piece appliance that can fully allow opening and closing as well as full lateral excursion, or movement, when you’re sleeping.

Some of the other appliances are fixed together, so when you put them in your mouth, you’re literally locked in. So, if you happen to be one of those teeth grinders, you’re going to have an appliance that has a short life. You’ll fatigue the material and it will break.

This is a fully adjustable, so basically, once such an appliance is in place, the jaw, when the person is sleeping, cannot fall back because it’s locked forward.

So, we use the information from that pharyngometer, we capture the position in space using some uncommon dental materials to lock the three dimensional jaw position that we find optimized on the computer screen.

We send those pieces to the laboratory and we get back an appliance of whatever design or style that the dentist is using. Then, the individual would come back in; we’d test in on the pharyngometer while we’re there in the office and make sure it’s what we want, what we sent off for.

We can readily compare it. This test takes 30 seconds, so it can be test repeatedly, and if a person needs to have an adjustment to the appliance.

So, that’s the concept of the oral appliance. These work very well so you can keep the tongue away from the back of the throat, and you’re taking the tube and keeping it open, so you’re going to have better oxygenation. Therefore, a successful treatment means a happy spouse or partner, a more alive patient, and a satisfied practitioner.

Oral appliance therapy is a surgical alternative to obstructive sleep apnea.

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3. Sleep Apnea, The Silent Killer Video – Dr. Nick Meyer Scottsdale AZ

And for a child, one event in a night is enough of an occurrence to have a child diagnosed as a sleep apnic. That cascades into a whole lot of other things such as bedwetting and attention deficit disorder and other things of that nature.

Parents, physicians and other sleep apnea dentists may think “Gosh, the kids are grinding their teeth.” Around the age of five, six, seven, eight is the transitional stage of dentition and many structural and functional occurrences are happen. During that transitional dentition that’s coming and going, they’re struggling for oxygen.

They have potential collapse of airway. And there are just a lot of hormonal things. When they’re grinding their teeth, kids cannot go. That’s a stage two in the sleep cycle and can’t get down into REM stage. And that’s true of adults, also.

Bruxism or teeth grinding is one of the things that we look for is worn down teeth. We will see that in kids that are eight years old, nine years old, ten years old. Their baby teeth are as flat as this table top. That’s not normal and they are not supposed to be that way. And what is the reason for this? Perhaps they have got some kind of disturbance going on physiologically that’s bothering them. Or maybe they have pinworms or perhaps some other nutritional deficiency.

It is likely they have got an airway disturbance which is causing a backup of pressure in their Eustachian tubes, so they’re trying to clear their airway, clear their ears as a result of the clogged airway.

GERD, gastric esophageal reflux disease, has been definitively linked to obstructive sleep apnea. So we see that as worn down teeth that has the enamel eroded off of the teeth. As well as headaches, oral‑facial pain or a coated or slashed scalloped tongue. My fingers, for instance, would be typed scallop. We look at a tongue and we’ll look for all the indentations and the depressions into the tongue. So that is a functional and visual manifestation. A functional problem going on such could be an enlarged uvula and enlarged tonsils. So those are some of the things that we see and we look for.

What do we do in dentistry to help childhood sleep apnea? Part of it depends on what it is that is the problem. The answers to the questions come with diagnostics, sometimes we will have people referred in from a medical doctor. If you suspect your child has sleep apnea, see your physician or a sleep apnea dentist.

Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS is an Arizona sleep dentist and a sleep apnea expert in Scottsdale and Phoenix at Millenium Dental Associates DrMeyer@Milldental.com.

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Ultrasonics are also used for the cleaning of the sharp little instruments used in dental and other practices.  These high frequency sound waves vibrate the debris from the instruments better than any scrub brush can.  The waves can get into the microscopic nooks and crannies to get the most stubborn matter out.

Another use of sound is in Through Transmission Attenuated Ultrasound.  Here a therapist uses a sender (transducer) and a capture device to image the porosity of the jaw bones.  This is then interpretted as healthy or diseased bone and the decision is then made to treat a particular area that is affected. 

And lastly, medical ultrasound is used to internally heat up the tissues beneath the application head.  Perhaps you have had this for a back injury for example.  The sound waves vibrate the liquid component of the tissue so quickly tht it warms up and this in turn causes an increase in the blood flow of the affected area.  This might be used for the treatment of what are commonly called TMJ disorders.  Here the muscles are warmed up to release muscle spasms that are responsible for the pain.

For more information please contact Dr. Nicholas Meyer at DrMeyer@milldental.com.

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The Invisalign® system is the virtually invisible way to straighten teeth and achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed of. Using advanced 3-D computer-imaging technology, Invisalign depicts your complete treatment plan, from the initial position of your teeth to the final desired position. Then a series of clear aligners are custom-made for your teeth – and your teeth only – to move them little by little. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by the next in the series, until the final position of your teeth is achieved. Your Invisalign treatment time will be determined based on your specific needs.

What are the primary benefits of Invisalign?

Invisalign aligners are practically clear. No one may even notice that you’re wearing these virtually invisible braces, making Invisalign a seamless fit with your lifestyle and day-to-day interactions with others.

Invisalign is removable. Unlike braces, you have the flexibility to eat and drink what you want during treatment by simply removing the aligners. And you can also remove the aligners to brush and floss as you normally would for fresh breath and good oral hygiene.

Unlike braces, there are no metal brackets or wires with the Invisalign system that could cause irritation to your mouth. Plus since your office visits during treatment don’t involve metal or wire adjustments, you’ll likely spend less time in the doctor’s chair.

And finally, Invisalign allows you to view your virtual results and treatment plan before you start so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

How will Invisalign effectively move my teeth?

Like brackets and arch wires are to braces, Invisalign aligners move teeth through the appropriate placement of controlled force on your teeth. The main difference is that Invisalign not only controls forces, but also the timing of the force application. During each stage, only certain teeth are allowed to move. These movements are determined by your doctor as he or she maps out your unique Invisalign treatment plan.

What are aligners made of, and what do they look like?

The virtually invisible aligners, which are made of a thermoplastic material uniquely developed for the Invisalign treatment plan, look similar to tooth-whitening trays. Invisalign aligners are custom-made for you and only you to move your teeth in the sequence determined by your doctor.

Do Invisalign aligners contain Bisphenol-A (BPA)?

No. Invisalign aligners and Vivera Retainers do not contain Bisphenol-A or phthalate plasticizers. These aligners and retainers are made with USP Class VI medical grade, high molecular weight, polyurethane resins. Tests have been conducted to determine the biocompatibility of these materials, and show that they are biocompatible and pass all applicable regulatory requirements and thresholds for human wear in the mouth. Of course, as with any medical device, you should consult with your health professional about your aligner or retainer treatment and any applicable risks of use.

Since having my braces removed, my teeth have shifted. Can Invisalign correct this?

A number of Invisalign patients have undergone a previous treatment involving braces at some point in their past, often during their youth. Invisalign can usually correct the shifting that occurs after braces, and do so without having to go through the trauma and social awkwardness of wearing metal braces.

Will Invisalign treatment be painful?

While Invisalign moves your teeth without the pain and anxiety of metal braces, some people will experience temporary discomfort for a few days at the beginning of each new stage of treatment. This is normal and is typically described as a feeling of pressure. It’s also a sign that Invisalign is working, as it moves your teeth to their final destination. This discomfort typically goes away in a couple of days.

For more information on Invisalign or to set up a consultation, contact Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS. Dr. Meyer is an Arizona dentist specializing in advanced general dentistry and complementary medicine in Scottsdale and Phoenix at Millenium Dental Associates, call (480) 948-0560 or visit www.milldental.com.

Source: www.invisalign.com

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I want to encourage all of you reading this post to consider cleansing those additional structures while on their tooth quest. You see the fact is, these structures have lots of bugs on them too. So when you just scrub a dub dub your teeth, you can rapidly repopulate the bacteria from the structures you haven’t cleaned. 

Brushing your gums, palate, cheeks, tongue (both top and bottom) is an exceptionally refreshing experience. Your whole mouth will feel alive having been so cared for. At first it will feel a bit strange to you to engage your mouth this way but with practice and persistence your mouth and all of it’s inhabitants will enjoy the many blessing bestowed upon it by the ablutions performed. So enjoy the experience of a lifetime, for a lifetime of a healthier you.

Learn more about Dr. Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS, DNM and Millenium Dental Associates at http://www.milldental.com or call 480.948.0560.

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Some of the important causes of TMJ disorders are the overuse of the temporomandibular joint, tension in the jaw, stress or anxiety, and the tightening of the jaw or clenching of the teeth. Sometimes there is a misalignment of the upper and lower joints due to the aftermath of inflammation. This inflammation is caused by arthritis or sometimes by accidents. Both of which can lead to TMJ disorders.

TMJ disorders occur as a result of structural problems inside the jaw joint. Tension might also be a form of inner anxiety. Activities causing stress such as gum chewing and teeth grinding would be examples of this. Jaw injuries are most commonly due to sport accidents, which cause misalignment of the jaw joint.

A person will not see the development of a TMJ disorder overnight. It can take a long time to develop and in some cases, people with a TMJ disorder become predisposed in their earlier years. Some people are born with birth defects that affect the jaw alignment. Bone damage due to jaw injury in the past, jaws that are displaced by wrongly positioned discs, tumors, or inflammation of the jaw due to a degenerative disease (like rheumatoid arthritis) can all be possible leads to the beginnings of a TMJ disorder.

By receiving regular dental checkups, TMJ disorders can be spotted and treated early on as well. The importance of these regular dental checkups cannot be overemphasized as they serve as the potential healthiness of your teeth.

For more information on TMJ, contact Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS. Dr. Meyer is an Arizona TMJ dentist specializes on solving chronic sharp head pain expert in Scottsdale and Phoenix at Millenium Dental Associates, call (480) 948-0560 or visit www.milldental.com.

Article source: ArticleBlast.com

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“Root canal” is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth’s nerve lies within the root canal.

A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory — to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.

During the root canal, an access hole will be drilled into the tooth. The pulp along with bacteria, the decayed nerve tissue and related debris is removed from the tooth. The cleaning out process is accomplished using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals. Water or sodium hypochlorite is used periodically to flush away the debris.

Once the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, it is sealed. A sealer paste and a rubber compound called gutta-percha is placed into the tooth’s root canal. To fill the exterior access hole created at the beginning of treatment, a filling is placed.

The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth. Because a tooth that needs a root canal often is one that has a large filling or extensive decay or other weakness, a crown, crown and post, or other restoration often needs to be placed on the tooth to protect it, prevent it from breaking, and restore it to full function.

Root canal therapy is one of the most feared dental procedures by patients however with this modern root canal treatment, the pain can be controlled and is really relatively painless.

Learn more about Dr. Nick Meyer and Millenium Dental Associates at http://www.milldental.com or call 480.948.0560.

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An onlay replaces the part of the tooth that has been previously filled and also covers the entire chewing surface to prevent future breakage. When correctly done, an onlay strengthens and protects – without covering the sides of the tooth. Unlike mercury amalgam, gold and porcelain do not corrode and leak. That is why an onlay lasts so long.

These tooth restorations, like crowns and inlays are done in two sittings. At the first, the tooth is prepared to receive the restoration, an impression is made of the prepared tooth and then a provisional (temporary) restoration is placed on the tooth. The impression is then sent to a laboratory where the permanent restoration is manufactured for your tooth. While this is going on, you are going about your daily business.

Then about two weeks later, after the first appointment you will return. The provisional is removed and the permanent restoration is literally fused to your tooth with a strong biocompatible bonding agent. Your bite is checked and when completed, you will enjoy a nice beautiful strong tooth.

Learn more about Dr. Nick Meyer and Millenium Dental Associates at http://www.milldental.com or call 480.948.0560.

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The answer is simple: It doesn’t! As light (energy) beings, no matter what happens to us in one part of our “being” another (actually the whole) is being instantaneously affected. The primary difference, those who know that this happens appreciate it and those who do not don’t have a clue. But that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

I have observed that there are two distinct classes of energetic dentistry. They are the overtly physical, (i.e. ultrasonic’s used in teeth cleaning or high energy particle acceleration used in caries removal) and the “spiritual or purely energetic” (i.e. pain management or laser gum surgery). These are on the treatment side. On the diagnostic side of things I have two examples: Dental X-rays, the grand Daddy of energy applications and also, low level laser luminescence for caries detection. Both are powerful and “non-invasive.”

So you can see, energetic’s in dentistry has been around for awhile. How it is used and what the future portends is just amazing.  Future article will highlight developments in energetic’s in medicine and dentistry. 

For further information please contact Dr. Nicholas Meyer at DrMeyer@milldental.com.

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