Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines. Fighting Back

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines

Fighting Back

 
Hello again.  Hope all is well with you.  My training to get fit enough to climb Mount Toubkal in May for Charity is well under way.  2 Back to back spinning classes last night.  Phew, that is a right sweaty affair. 

The Force Is With You While You Sleep 

I do like Star wars.  Last time I banged on a bit about how clenching and grinding teeth can cause toothache, and face ache and contribute to head, neck and shoulder pain.

Well, when you are asleep you can apply up to 20 times more clenching force than when you are awake. Now that is a lot of force!  No wonder muscles can spasm and teeth ache and get sensitive and wear down. 

So What Causes It Then?

We don’t really know.  Some people are just wired up that way to be clenchers/grinders and have done it all their lives.  Others do it from time to time and it is often stress induced.  It can be just having a lot going on, life-changes and difficult times.  Some people don’t recognise being stressed but it can get under your skin and sneak up on you as it may not be just one thing but several little things going on that add up and play on your subconscious.

What Can We Do Then?

There are a few strategies to try from rest regime and massage, hypnotherapy, antidepressants/muscle relaxants, Low Level Laser Therapy to Occlusal splints.  Occlusal what?   These are a non-invasive dentistry type of physiotherapy option that work very well.

Occlusal Splints

We’ve used all types of splints over the years.  Some are like a soft gum shield.  Some are similar but in hard acrylic.  These ones take quite a time to adjust to get right over several visits as the jaw muscles relax and the jaw changes position.  They are a bit bulky and cost quite a bit to make and get right. The Michigan Splint and the Tanner Appliance are examples of this.  They can be a bit of a gob stopper to wear at night.

Michigan Splint

                                                                                          

Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System

NTI tss for short, thank goodness. Now this little bit of kit is what we use mainly now as it is small so more comfortable and is done in a single visit so is very cost effective. The name has since been changed to SCI (Sleep Clench Inhibitor). I wonder why?

Anyway the results we get with these are great. 

 

How Come?

Well, when the back teeth meet the clenching muscles can really fire and go for it. When the back teeth are separated and can only clench on the front teeth the muscle activity is reduced by about 65%.  This allows the muscles to relax and stop aching and the back teeth to stop taking a pounding.  People tend to get on better with these as they only cover the front few teeth so they get worn instead of just being put in a drawer!  Once symptoms get better you can leave it out and just wear it at night when you feel you need it.  If tooth wear is a problem or you have a lot of dental restorations to protect then maybe every night is best.

Off to a course on Cone Beam CT Scans and Laser Scanners to take virtual impressions next week.  There’s always something for a dental anorak.

Until next time.  Take care and be good.

 

Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines

 

 

"The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines 

Hello again. I’m glad to say that my talk to an audience of 150 people at a Unique Customer Care Conference in Liverpool about dental lasers went well. I was on last so had the “graveyard” shift. I livened it up though and got some good feedback.

We also won an award for “Uncommon Patient Service”. We are really chuffed with this!! As I write I have just got to Chepstow, South Wales. I’m doing even more advanced straight teeth training. I know I’m an anorak when it comes to my job. 

Not All Toothaches Are Toothaches

Eh? Has Branfield lost the plot or something?

Well no and please bear with me. After seeing loads of people over the last 22 years in practice I am convinced that there has been a lot of dentistry done i.e. drilling and filling when it has not been absolutely necessary. I came to this conclusion ages ago. You see not all toothache is to do with the tooth or filling per se.

You see, a lot of toothaches are to do with overloading the teeth with excessive or prolonged clenching and/or grinding. This is so-called “Bruxism”.

Not only can a tooth or a number of teeth become sensitive to temperature changes or tender to pressure but also the side of the face or head or ear all of them ache. You can even get head, neck and shoulder pain because of it sometimes. 

We Are Not Built For It

Now, your teeth are only really supposed to meet for up to 20 minutes a day. They touch at the end of the chewing cycle once you broken down the food ‘bolus’ (technical term thrown in there for a change) and briefly when we swallow. Any more than that and we can start to overload the system. Teeth, muscles and jaw joint.

Have a look at the picture that shows the main 2 clenching muscles and the jaw joint (Temporo-Mandibular Joint or TMJ, oh, I’m getting really techy today). If these muscles are overworked you can see where you might get face-ache. Also by clenching you can force the part of the jaw to the back of the joint (this is posterior fulcruming, which means pivoting at the back and is not good) and this is just in front of the ear so can cause earache. Sometimes the headaches are called migraines but these are not true migraines. I’m a bundle of joy today aren’t I? 

To Drill Or Not To Drill, That Is The Question

So, if there is pain but the tooth looks OK and the filling or whatever restoration look OK but there are signs of clenching or grinding or both them then drilling and filling may not sort out the problem so we need to be careful on that score.

I see loads of this going on all the time. There things that can help and I’ll go on about this a bit next time.

More Challenges

Last year I rode coast to coast from Barrow-in-Furness to Whitby to raise much needed funds for Dental Mavericks. Now, we are all self funded for the trips out to Morocco to get the kids out of pain so this is 100% charity and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

In May this year I go on my 7th Dental Mavericks expedition to treat the kids. Straight after my son and I will be climbing Mount Toubkal to raise funds. This is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains at 4167 metres. Mount Snowden is only 1085 metres. It will be a challenge and my fear is altitude sickness. Thanks to all who have supported us. If you like to offer some support it would be greatly appreciated. Some of these kids have abscesses that can lead to septicaemia if not treated.



http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/castleparkdentalcare

or Call Gillian 01482 846335



Until next time. Take care and be good.







Chris Branfield is Principal Dentist at Castle Park Dental Care, Castle Villa, 28 Castle Road, Cottingham, telephone 01482 772550. He has been in dental practice for 22 years and has a special interest in life changing, pain free dentistry with dental implants, rapid teeth straightening and cosmetic dentistry. And, not only that Chris is founder member and trustee of Dental Mavericks charity- ending the daily dental pain of Moroccan kids. For more patient success stories and Chris’s charity work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk