Ceka attachments can also be used to help anchor partial dentures and the result is highly esthetic because the Dentist can design the partial without those unsightly clasps. These are usually referred to as ‘Precision Attachment Partial Dentures” and they are a very cost effective alternative to dental implants.
Can u tell which of the following are denture teeth and which are natural?
This type of procedure is typically done when a tooth is extracted to prevent the loss of the surrounding hard and soft supporting tissues so that when a tooth is replaced it will have normal anatomical contours/shape.
The vast majority of Dental implant surgeries performed by Dr. Willoughby are done using C.T. guided software and surgical templates which help to increase the accuracy of the implant placement.
My husband’s snoring is so loud that he’s sleeping more in the guest room than our bedroom! It is now so bad that he is waking up at night gasping for breath! I finally got him to our family Doctor who diagnosed him with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Problem is he hates the CPAP treatment and won’t wear the device. I’m really frustrated and worried about his health. I’ve heard that there may be a Dental solution to this problem… can you please help us?
Yes, I can help. The answer lies in the use of a very special oral appliance called a SomnoDent® which is an ideal alternative to CPAP therapy for patients who suffer from snoring and mild to moderate obstructive Sleep Apnea (“OSA”).
OSA is a serious medical condition in which breathing is interrupted by a partial blockage in your airway, causing you to stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night – literally starving your brain and body of vital oxygen. The result of Sleep Apnea is a severe stress being placed on your body, especially on your cardiovascular system and metabolism. As a result, Sleep Apnea is frequently associated with the following medical conditions:
Although sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, it is usually males and females between the ages of 45-65. Due to a lack of public awareness, the vast majority of sufferers remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated despite the fact that the disorder can have serious medical consequences.
The SomnoDent® is a custom made removable oral appliance worn during sleep to increase the upper airway volume and reduce collapsibility by advancing the mandible. SomnoDent® devices maximize patient comfort and compliance and have exceptional levels of compliance 88%, treatment efficacy 91% and acceptance 96% of patients with OSA compared to CPAP compliance rates of less than 40%.
When a patient wears a Somnodent Oral Appliance the effect is much like protruding your lower jaw – because the tongue is attached via several muscle groups to the lower jaw, as the jaw moves forward, so does the tongue. This forward tongue posture allows for increased patency of the airway – a bigger breathing hole.
SomnoDent® treatment has also been shown to have a clinically signif cant impact in reducing patients’ blood pressure and has been predicted to reduce the risk of stroke. In addition, this blood pressure reduction was apparent in the early morning, which is the time of peak risk for acute myocardial infarction.
14 independent studies and over 12 years’ worth of research demonstrate SomnoDent’s efficacy and significant clinical benefits.
The updated practice parameters of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend the use of oral devices such as the SomnoDent® for mild-to-moderate OSA (AHI < 25), or for patients with severe OSA who are either unable to tolerate CPAP or refuse treatment with CPAP.
And when you wear a SomnoDent® that has been adjusted by a Dentist who uses TENS and jaw tracking technology, the patient can wake up with less muscle stiffness and a better overall tongue position — all of which helps to create a more comfortable fitting appliance.
If you or a loved one snore or have been diagnosed with OSA please give our office a call today and book a consultation with our office! Find out how you maybe able to get a SomnoDent® covered by your extended medical benefits.
For many years now I’ve been suffering from daily headaches. My Family Doctor’s only solution has been pain killers and muscle relaxants! I’ve seen several medical specialists but they have been of little help. I know my bite is off because my jaws ache when I chew and click when I open but, how can my teeth be causing me this constant headache pain?
90% of all headaches are muscular in origin and Neuromuscular Dentistry focuses on the relationship between the TemperoMandibular Joint (TMJ), the muscles, nerves and boney structures of the head and neck and how this system is affected by the patients dental occlusion (“bite”). When jaw joint, muscle and related head and neck problems are associated with a bad bite, Neuromuscular-trained Dentists refer to it as Cranio-Mandibular Dysfunction (“CMD”). Signs and symptoms of CMD include; cluster headaches; migraines; clicking and popping jaw joint sounds; limited opening; deviations on opening; neck or shoulder pain; worn or missing teeth; sore tired jaw muscles; tingling in the thumb and fore-fingers; tinnitus; itchy plugged ears; vertigo; speech and or problems swallowing.
Patients suffering from longstanding headaches and TMJ symptoms are usually very skeptical until we complete our examination because NM trained Dentists employ a zero based medical model whereby CMD symptoms are compared to objective, reproduceable computer derived data. Unlike traditional methods for treating CMD, Neuromuscular Dentists recognize that the muscles of the head and neck must be in a state of Physiologic Rest or relaxation – if the muscles are in a state of chronic contraction the patients bite and jaw-joint relationship cannot be optimized. NM trained Dentists evaluate muscle strain and activity using EMG leads and relax jaw and neck muscles using ultra low frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (TENS). This type of analytical diagnostic information is preferable to subjectively quantifying pain and discomfort solely through manual muscle palpation.
NM trained Dentists employ digital Joint Sonography and sophisticated realtime computer diagnostics and jaw tracking equipment called “K7” Evaluation system to accurately locate the jaw in a precise position that supports optimal health for the entire body. The K7 system allows a NM tarined Dentist to develop base line data and evaluate tangible improvements in clinical outcomes on a predictable and repeatable basis. This objective data can also be readily shared and interpreted by other healthcare professionals.
37 year old Caucasian female presented with a 20+year history of chronic migraine type headaches (3-4 weekly) and was being treated at a Headache Clinic in the lower mainland with a combination of Anti-depressants, NSAID’s, Triptans, and Botox but, her migraines were not improving. In late January, 2012, patient received a complete NM workup utilizing K7 equipment, a CT scan of her TM Joints. The result of her zero based clinical exam was a diagnosis of CMD. The patients malocclusion was causing severe muscle spasm in her Temporalis muscles leading to a torqued and retruded mandibular position causing internal derangement of her disco-condylar complex. Treatment involved fabrication, insertion and adjustment (with TENS) of a removable lower NM orthotic to reposition her mandible and allow for disk recapture. Within the f rst few days of wearing the NM orthotic, the patient’s migraine headaches had reduced in both frequency and intensity. Within 3 months they had almost completely resolved, allowing the patient to successfully titrate off her meds. Physical therapy was implemented throughout this period and all postural manipulations were made while wearing the NM orthotic. Patient is now finishing Invisalign orthodontic therapy and the correction of her malocclusion is nearly completed. Patient remains med free and pain free as confirmed by low EMG rest and adjusted jaw trajectory scans.
