Boulder General Dentistry

Sleep apnea, a disorder where you stop breathing for at least ten seconds, can be a serious condition. Besides daytime fatigue, which can really ruin your day, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, heart attacks, and strokes. That's right; sleep apnea may lead to death.

However, there are several ways to treat sleep apnea and improve your sleep and your health.

• Behavioral Changes - Because things like alcohol intake, tobacco use, and diet may be causes, changing your behavior can help. By quitting smoking, limiting the amount of alcohol you consume, and losing weight, you reduce the severity of apnea. If you are unable to change your behavior on your own, talk to a physician.
• Oral Appliance Therapy - Several devices may help including mouth guards, tongue and jaw positioners. These will help to hold those parts of your mouth, such as your tongue or jaw, from blocking your airway.
• CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is a mask you wear at night to keep air flowing through your nostrils. This keeps your throat from closing and keeps oxygen flowing to your brain and heart. CPAP will also help keep you from snoring.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, please contact Dr. Birnbach to find out your treatment options. Don't miss anymore sleep because of this condition.

TMD, or Temporomandibular Disorder, occurs when there are problems with the jaw, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), or the surrounding muscles of the face. These muscles help control chewing and movement of the jaw, as well as some of the facial expressions. Some injuries, such as whiplash or a blow to the jaw, can cause TMD. Other causes include:

• Clenching or grinding the teeth (bruxism)
• Dislocation of the soft cushion between the ball and socket of the jaw
• Stress, which can cause tightening of facial and jaw muscles, or clenching of the teeth
• Presence of arthritis

Severe pain and discomfort often accompanies TMD, and is most commonly seen in people between 20 and 40 years old. More women than men suffer from TMD.

Common Symptoms

• Pain in face, neck, shoulders, or area of the jaw
• Jaw that locks in open or closed position
• Swelling on the side of the face
• Clicking or popping in the jaw, which may or may not be painful
• Difficulty chewing
• Toothaches
• Headaches, including migraines
• Tinnitus
• Dizziness

Being diagnosed with TMD is done by a dentist who has experience in neuromuscular dentistry. After finding that you have TMD, finding the root of the cause, as well as treatment of the symptoms can begin. Treatment might include wearing a mouth guard to help adjust your bite, dental treatment which might include crowns to replace missing teeth, or a change in your diet to avoid hard and sticky foods.

If you think you might have TMD or want to know more about it, please contact Dr. Birnbach, serving Boulder and the area from Fort Collins to Denver, Colorado.