Ringing in the ears is a condition called tinnitus. It is a problem that many people suffer from. Some people accept the ringing and don't do anything about it.
Others are so distracted by the ringing, that they need to figure out what to do it. Whole their first trip may involve a hearing specialist, there is another type of doctor that they should consider. Our oral surgeons can often help resolve the issue of ringing in the ears better than anyone else.
There are many things that can lead to the ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. Exposure to loud noise or high-pitched noise is one of the things that can lead to issues with this. Traumatic injury is another. There are some dental procedures that can cause ringing in the ear. There are also some conditions that the oral surgeon can help with to relieve the ringing in the ears.
It is possible that if you have an abscess in your tooth, it can lead to ringing in the ears. The infection can create pain and can impact the jaw and the connections between the skull, the jaw and the ear. This disturbance can turn into the ringing. Another similar possibility is an impacted wisdom tooth. This can cause problems similar to an abscess.
Bruxism or teeth grinding can also affect the connections between the jaw, skull and ear. In the same way as an abscess, the disruption can lead to ringing in the ears. TMJ disorders occur when the joint and muscles connecting the jaw to the skull malfunction. They may lock in place, they may cause clicking sounds and they create problems chewing and talking. On top of all that, they can make the ears start to ring.
The problems of an abscess, bruxism and TMJ are all treatable. There are different ways to resolve the problem. For most people fixing the cause takes care of the ringing.
Contact our office today to schedule your next appointment with one of our dental professionals.
Approximately one out of 800 children born in the United States each year is born with either a cleft lip or a cleft palate. While rarely is it a serious medical condition, a cleft palate should be fixed by a team that includes an oral surgeon. The question is, what age is the best age for the surgery?
The age will vary by child and also the severity of the cleft, so it is best to talk to us so that we can decide together what will be best for your child.
In most cases, a child with a cleft palate should have the surgery between the ages of six months and a year and a half. It makes sense to take care of it at this early of an age, because then the child's mouth and lip will be able to develop normally.
A cleft lip is usually not quite as severe as a cleft palate, but it should also have surgery in order to repair it. A cleft lip can usually be repaired at a younger age. The optimal age for the cleft lip surgery is often ten to 12 weeks old.
If a child has a cleft lip or cleft palate, it is usually not recommended that the surgery be put off much longer than that. By the time a child reaches the age of three, speech is developing. A cleft palate can affect speech.
A cleft lip or palate is not something that you will want to wait to treat. The first step is to make an appointment with us, so that we can see what is going on. We will then talk you through the process and help you to make the best decisions for your child.
When a part of your body is in pain, you typically want two things. You want to know what is causing the pain and what you can do to end it. The answer to these questions depends on a few things
Where the pain is, that type of pain and how severe the pain is are some of the things that can help. If the pain is in your jaw, the dental professionals at our offices can help. These are the ways they can do that.
The causes of jaw pain can range from minor problems to serious health issues. Some people suffer from jaw pain as the result of a trauma. Jaw pain is also a symptom of a heart attack. In these cases, getting immediate medical help is often important.
Two of the more common causes of jaw pain include a toothache and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. These are two problems that affect your oral health and that our office can treat. A toothache is the sign of a cavity or something worse where the pain radiates down to the jaw. TMJ is a disorder that affects the joint where the jaw is attached to the skull.
If the cause of the jaw pain is a toothache, treating the toothache could require a filling or some other procedure. Once the cause of the toothache is taken care of, the jaw pain should go away. Jaw pain from TMJ is more difficult to treat. TMJ is often the result of teeth grinding. A mouthguard could help resolve that issue. There are other causes and treatments for TNMJ, but it is possible to treat and to relieve the jaw pain.
The key is not to ignore pain in the jaw. Pain is a sign that something is wrong, and it is best to find out the cause, so you can treat it. Call our office to schedule your next appointment with our dental professionals.
Gum grafting is a simple procedure that involves removing tissue from a healthy area of your gums or the roof of your mouth and attaching it to the part of the gums that has been infected or damaged. Gum grafts are usually used to treat gum disease and gum recession.
Gum disease is very common. It is caused by poor oral hygiene that leads to plaque buildup, and if left untreated, gum disease can have serious consequences for your oral and overall health. Gum grafts can be used to treat gum disease by repairing the areas of gum tissue that have become infected or inflamed.
Gum grafts are also used to treat gums that have receded. Gum recession is gradual, and can be caused by poor oral hygiene, gum disease, harsh brushing, teeth grinding, genetics, or even hormone changes. Smokers and people with diabetes have a higher risk of both gum recession and gum disease.
Receding gums are harmful because they leave the sensitive roots of your teeth exposed. Exposed tooth roots are highly vulnerable to infection, decay, damage like abrasion, and heightened sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures. Gum recession also affects the appearance of your smile. Undergoing a gum graft for gum recession can improve the look of your smile, prevent further recession and bone loss, and protect your tooth roots from decay and sensitivity.
There are three different types of gum grafts. The most common is a connective tissue graft, which involves cutting a flap of tissue from your palate that is used to cover exposed tooth roots. Another type of graft is a free gingival graft, which involves taking tissue from the roof of your mouth and using it to build up gums that are very thin. Finally, pedicle grafts are used when you have enough healthy gum tissue in different areas to cut flaps that are then stitched onto the damaged or receded gum tissue. Contact our office to learn if gum graft surgery is right for you.
Anytime you are having oral surgery, and you should ask as many questions as you can think about when you come in for your consultation. During this appointment, we will go over your case, and you will probably get a set of x-rays, so our surgeon can evaluate your condition. We will go over our findings and explain why there is a need for surgery.
Asking questions will put you at ease regarding the procedure. People get anxious when they hear they need surgery and want to know why they need the procedure and how long the recovery will be. Here are some questions you may not think about to ask our oral surgeon.
| • | How many years of experience does our surgeon have? |
| • | Is he or her a board certified, maxillofacial surgeon? |
| • | What is the success rate of our surgeon? |
| • | Is our surgeon certified in anesthesiology? |
| • | Does our surgeon perform surgeries at the hospital and are they in good standing with that facility? |
| • | Will you be performing the surgery? |
| • | Does our surgeon call me after the surgery to see how I'm feeling? |
| • | Will I get the surgeon's personal cell phone, so I can contact him or her with any concern? |
| • | What is the surgeon's resuscitation protocol in case of an emergency during surgery? |
| • | How long will my recovery take and what can I expect? |
| • | Can you explain why I need this surgery and how I will benefit from it? |
These are all critical questions, and some are related to our office's track record. If you want additional information or testimonials from staff or patients who have used our services, please don't hesitate to ask.
We are happy to answer any concerns, so you feel completely at ease during your oral surgery. If you go home and think of other questions, make sure you call us or stop by before your procedure.
If your bottom jaw sticks out, be sure that you are not alone. You are among the 3-5% population of those suffering from this orthodontic condition. This disorder is also known as maxillary prognathism or Class III Malocclusion. It can be a sign of an underlying medical condition that could require treatment. Some cases may be severe, causing your lower teeth and chin to protrude forward, while others can be milder or go unnoticeable.
There are many reasons why you may have maxillary prognathism. One of these reasons is genetic inheritance rather than an underlying health condition. Other common causes could be acromegaly, basal cell nevus syndrome, or acrodysostosis. With acromegaly, the jaw sticks out when your body releases excess growth hormones. As a result, your tissues enlarge, including the lower jaw. Basal cell nevus syndrome, however, leads to abnormal facial characteristics such as lower jaw protrusion even though it is a rare inherited dental health condition. It is a similar case with acrodysostosis, whereby your bone's growth and development are affected. This rare congenital condition causes a small upper jaw, making the lower jaw to appear abnormally larger.
You can have your protruding jaw corrected by visiting our reputable orthodontists. The orthodontists will do a thorough examination of your lower jaw and mouth to come up with a proper diagnosis. After a successful diagnosis, you will get a recommendation for the best dental treatment available. Most likely, the orthodontist will use braces to adjust your lower jaw and correct the misaligned teeth. Another option will entail doing orthognathic surgery to fix the problem. It is important that you visit or call us for further consultation if you are concerned about your lower jaw protrusion.
Most patients panic when they notice an odd growth in their mouth thinking it is a sign of a bad infection or the beginning of cancer. Typically, these bony growths are benign and are nothing to worry about, still others are. The outcropping of bone in the oral cavity is not normal and should be addressed by a professional to determine the best treatment option.
These growths vary in size and have been linked to diet, whether you grind your teeth or not and how much bone density is available. The good news is the growths are easy to remove and can be done in a relatively quick and pain-free procedure. There are several common growths.
A mandibular tori is a growth that can be painful. They are most commonly found on the inside of the mouth in the lower jaw. Interestingly, they are typically found in pairs, one on each side of the mouth. They can cause sore throat, pain in the jaw and teeth and even cause some of the teeth to come loose. These growths are largely benign and pose no overall health threat. They are easily removed. They have been attributed to both genetics and to patients grinding their teeth.
The torus palatinus usually appears on the roof of the mouth. These are generally harmless and are more frequently found than mandibular tori. There are many times when they do not need to be removed. While these too can be attributed to genetics and grinding teeth, it has also been attributed to diet.
While discovering a bony growth protruding in your mouth can be alarming, there is no need to panic. Just give us a call and we discuss any necessary actions regarding the growths.
Bruxism and teeth grinding can cause a variety of problems. For some, the issues caused by bruxism are a minor convenience. For others, it causes big problems. For most people, the longer it is left untreated, the bigger the problems of bruxism become. That is why it is important to recognize the problem and to find a solution to it.
Bruxism is also known as teeth grinding. While people can grind or clench their teeth at any time of the day or night, it is very common for people to grind their teeth while they sleep. The problem is that many people don't realize it happens until the damage from bruxism begins to appear. Bruxism can cause many problems including broken, chipped or damaged teeth, jaw pain and headaches.
Some people may only have minor symptoms of bruxism, while others notice more severe problems. Either way, it is best to treat the nighttime bruxism as soon as you notice the signs. Left untreated, the problems will typically only get worse.
The best way to treat bruxism while you sleep is by protecting the teeth. This is possible through the use of oral appliances. Oral appliances are custom fit to your mouth, teeth and bite. They help keep your jaw in a position that prevents the grinding from happening.
The oral appliances are not perfect. Their biggest flaw is that they only work when they are in place. If you don't put them in before you fall asleep, they cannot protect your teeth. For severe cases of bruxism and the damage it causes, there are dental corrections to turn to. Fixing the bite or repairing the damaged teeth can help resolve the bruxism. Behavioral changes can work for some people, but they are not always perfect.
For more information about this or any other oral health issue, contact our office to schedule an appointment.
If you think your jaw is dislocated, please seek medical attention immediately. It is not something to try to fix on your own and may even require surgery.
If your jaw feels strange, for example, you are having difficulty moving it like normal, or there is pain when moving your jaw, you may have dislocated it. There may also be symptoms such as, swelling or bruising along the jawline. Immediate medical care is necessary, if you have any of these symptoms. An oral surgeon specializes in jaw repair. However, if an oral surgeon is not immediately available, you need to go to the emergency room.
You don't want to make matters worse by waiting, and you of course need to be sure the jaw isn't actually broken. While waiting to receive medical attention, you should hold the jaw in place, by wrapping an elastic bandage around your head, from the jaw line to the top of your head. In the emergency room or oral surgeon's office, your jaw will be assessed, and a decision will be made as to whether or not surgery is necessary. Often times, the jaw can be popped back into place manually, by a medical professional.
Any unexpected trauma to the face could possibly cause the jaw to dislocate…. from a sports injury to something as simple as a yawn. Please don't be afraid to yawn! It is a rare occurrence, but it can happen. The good news is, a jaw dislocation is repairable. Our office is an excellent choice for dislocation repair. You can trust all of your oral surgery needs to us. Call us with any questions or concerns.
Your jaw is important to your oral health. It is oftentimes the most overlooked part of your oral area. Usually, the teeth, tongue, and gums in the mouth are what is considered to be part of your oral area.
However, the jaw is another component that should be considered, as you want to make sure that you're taking care of the health and wellness of your jaw in addition to those other features.
Chewing, biting, or moving your jaw should never hurt. You shouldn't think twice about doing any of this, and pain should not be an issue you're experiencing. However, if you are experiencing pain in your jaw, then there is a cause for this, and it is something that requires treatment from our office.
Some of the reasons to have jaw pain can include a number of conditions, but some of the most common ones are teeth grinding, especially at night when you're sleeping, or TMJ, which is a chronic, recurring pain in the jaw. You may even develop arthritis in the jaw area. Clenching your jaw, again, while sleeping can cause this pain to happen. Having any sort of injuries happen to the mouth or face area can cause the jaw to regularly hurt because of the trauma that was experienced.
It is important to speak with our dental professionals because you should have a way to get the relief you need in your jaw. Speak with us today regarding any and all jaw pain that you are experiencing to ensure that you have the best treatment plan possible that eliminates that pain from your life. We take the time to get to know every patient that comes to see us, so that we can accurately provide you with a diagnosis and a treatment plan that works with you and the issues you're personally experiencing.
