Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Migraines, Headaches, and the Joint

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

No, I'm not talking about doobies. I'm talking about the temporomandibular joint, and its relationship to chronic, severe headaches that are sometimes misdiagnosed as migraines. In addition, because migraines are related to a disorder of the brain best treated pharmacologically whereas TMD is a physical condition that can be treated with physical remedies, the distinction has big implications for treatment. To help you figure out whether your headache is likely to be a migraine or is more likely related to a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), here's some information on how to tell whether you are suffering migraines or not.

Migraines are often easily diagnosed because they are accompanied by an aura. An aura in this case is defined as:

Visual symptoms such as flickering lights, bright spots, lines, or temporary blindness
Numbness or tingling
Temporary speech impairment

All of these symptoms have at least two of the following characteristics:

Develop slowly over more than 5 minutes
Are asymmetrical, affecting only one side of the body or field of vision
Lasting between 5-60 minutes.

According to the International Headache Society, migraines that occur without auras can be diagnosed using the simple "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" criteria, meaning, that you suffer:

5 attacks
Lasting 4 hours to 3 days
Having 2 or more of the following characteristics: focused location, pulsating quality, and severe pain that is aggravated by physical activity
1 or more accompanying symptoms, such as nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, mood changes, partial paralysis of one side of the body

It is especially likely that you are suffering from a migraine if your attacks occur in relation to eating a particular kind of food or biochemical changes, such as menstruation.

If you are suffering from chronic headaches without the attendant symptoms of a migraine, there is most likely some other cause, such as TMD. If you are suffering from chronic headaches that do not meet the criteria above, then, whether or not you have been diagnosed with a migraine, contact us today to set up an appointment to have your pain evaluated.

Patti

Recoginiton of Symptoms Can Save a Life

Thursday, February 21, 2008

I received a email this morning that I found too importnat not to post.
Coincidently just yesterday I was speaking with another dentist who is in his early 40's and recently experienced a severe stroke. It was because of his wife's awareness of his symptoms that he is alive today and did not suffer any residual affects. Please take the time to read the following story and learn the symptoms of a stroke! Thank you so much!

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes..
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediatelyand describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue ;
NOTE: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this
e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Did you know.....

Monday, February 18, 2008

Were you aware that the average person can exert up to 200 pounds of force on their back teeth? Clenching one's jaw can be due to a poor bite or it can even be stress induced. With all that pressure, serious damage can occur in our teeth and you may not be aware of the serious nature of the problem. Most of us will wait until something hurts before acting. With that in mind here are some tips that would indictae that you should see us the evaluate your bite.
1. Gound down flat teeth
2. Clicking and popping when opening and closing of the jaw.
3. Headaches that are constantly reoccuring.
4. Chipped edges on your front teeth.
5. Damaged fillings of crowns.
6. Lost enemal
7. Awareness of being stressed or anxious.
If you see yourself falling into these categories you may be doing irreversible damage to your teeth and your TMJ's. Please call Faith or Lea at 561-394-9000 to schedule an appointment to prevent the problem form worsening!

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

The Fight To Prevent Cavities Gets Better!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

As reported in Science Daily in January 0f 2008, researchers have identified key genes and proteins that, if interfered with, can take away the ability of
cavity producing bacteria to flourish as their bacterial byproducts build up in the mouth. In other words, the bacteria that eat sugar and release cavity-causing acid onto our teeth may soon be made dramatically more vulnerable to the very acid that has allowed them to thrive and cause tooth decay.
Robert G. Quivey, Ph.D. professor of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center reported “our first goal is to force the major bacterium behind tooth decay to destroy itself with its own acid as soon as it eats sugar."
Hopefully the future will bring a toothpaste or floss that includes an antibacterial agent that will continue our fight against dental disease! Please call our in to arrange for an appointment for a comprehensive examination. Faith and Lea will be glad to find a time that is mutual beneficial.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

They Are Worth More Than The Tooth Fairy Pays!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

They Are Worth More Than The Tooth Fairy Pays!

The importance of baby teeth are not always stressed to parents. Yes baby teeth provide our children with beautiful smiles and they are for chewing food. But their importance lies in that they maintain space in the jaw for the permanent adult teeth to erupt. Premature loss of a baby tooth can lead to crowded teeth which may then require braces to correct the problem.
Yes our children will lose those precious baby teeth eventually. In the meanwhile brush those pearly whites, watch the sugar content in the beverages they drink and make sure that they begin their dental visits by at least the age of 3.
Should you or your child need an appointment with our office please call and ask for Faith or Lea and they will assist you to find a time that is mutual beneficial.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Trained Rats Help Puzzle Out Neurological Maze of Tinnitus

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears, is a common symptom for people suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). Now researchers at the University of Buffalo who have been working for 10 years on the problem have trained rats to tell researchers when they are hearing sounds. Thus, when the rats report sounds, but none are present, the researchers can tell that the rats are suffering from tinnitus. These researchers have already been able to identify that the source of tinnitus is not the ear, but the brain, although damage to the ear may be a factor.

When the brain receives reduced signals from the hearing organ, the cochlea, as a result of age or injury, it turns up the volume on the signals it does receive. Although this increase in volume can increase the ear's ability to hear, it also increases the prevalence of noise, the buzzing, ringing, or hissing of background phenomena.

An improperly functioning TMJ may impair the cochlea's ability to transmit signals to the brain, as it can impair the inner ear's ability to maintain balance. If you are suffering from tinnitus that you cannot attribute to an ear or brain injury, TMD might be to blame. Please call us for a diagnostic appointment at 561-394-9000.

Patti

Your Dental Health During Pregnancy

Dental Health and Pregnancy

The importance of dental care during pregnancy continues to be discussed in the news. Researchers have concluded that periodontal disease has been shown to be a factor in preterm low birth weight babies.
Due to the tremendous influx of hormones during pregnancy the gums have a tendency to become swollen and tender to the touch. They also may bleed very easily when you brush or floss.
All this underlies the importance of maintaining your regular appointments with our hygienist. Additionally the importance of exquisite homecare with brushing and flossing is paramount. Getting your teeth cleaned at the beginning and the near the end of the pregnancy is a good way to help avoid the periodontal perils of pregnancy. If you have not been seen by our hygienist please call Faith or Lea to schedule an appointment at 561-394-9000.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

HPV Virus and Men!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

It never ceases to amaze me how on a daily basis we can read or hear about the remarkable advances that medicine is making. Over the past couple years a vaccine was deveoped to help prevent cervical cancer in women by eliminating the HPV virus. It now believed that the HPV is the cause of many oral cancer in men.
Merck, the developer of the vaccine plan to ask the government permission to offer the vaccine to boys and young men. They believe the vaccine would prevent men from spreading the virus and help reduce the nearly 12,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in U.S. women each year.
Oral cancer screenings are an integral part of our comprehesive examination. If you haven't recently had an oral cancer screening at our office please call Faith or Lea at 561-394-9000 to schedule an appointment immediately!

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.