Introduction to Chronic Pain
You have pain that just won’t go away – an earache without an infection, a toothache without obvious causes, a daily headache, you can’t open your mouth wide, or you have ongoing jaw pain. You suffer every day of your life. You’ve been to the doctor and dentist but your pain seems resistant to every effort.
You’ve probably become very frustrated with the intrusion of pain in your life. You’re tired of feeling like a hypochondriac – as if you were making up symptoms to get attention. You’re worried about the costs in the form of time, money, and missed workdays.
You are worried about cost of healthcare, but you should be more focused on the cost of not treating your pain timely or appropriately. Did you know that in the U.S. approximately 700 million workdays are lost each year at a cost of $60 billion? (2002 figures)
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Appliances
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHAT IS THE "TMJ" APPLIANCE,
THE QUESTION SHOULD BE WHAT IS THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
Upon graduation from dental school there were many voids in our knowledge base. At best, the four-year curriculum is packed with mostly pertinent knowledge on all the services a good dentist provides. Unfortunately, we find that we have to spend an inordinate amount of money and time increasing our abilities so we can provide expanded services. As you expand your services, you must develop knowledge and clinical skills to provide such expanded service. Great businessmen would advise us that we should expand our services in areas where the demand is greatest and then limit how far we go in that one service area.
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Aug 2008
Tension Headache
Headaches are for all practical purposes a hidden epidemic, yet are not considered a serious problem. Each year over 45 million Americans suffer chronic headaches. Pediatric headaches increased from 14% to 50% from 1972 to 1991. Headache sufferers spend over $2 billion on over-the-counter medications. Statistics show 48% of women and 38% of men have tension headaches while only 18% of women and 9% of men have migraines...Read Article
Sep 2007
Burning Mouth Syndrome
The classic case of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a constant burning sensation in the mouth with no obvious or visual tissue changes, lesions, or defects. BMS affects approximately 5% of the population ...Read Article
Nov/Dec 2006
Pediatric Headaches
Her headaches affected her ability to sleep, eat, focus, participate in sports, interact socially ...Read Article
Nov/Dec 2005
Head Region Neuropathies
A common misconception about the nervous system is that it acts similar in concept to that of a doorbell made of a button, wire, and bell ...Read Article
The American Academy of Orofacial Pain Newsletter
Fall 2005
Chronic Pain Is Different than Acute Pain
Dentists diagnose most dental disorders by viewing the oral structure or a radiograph of it ...Read Article
Spring 2005
Dentistry and TMD
As I entered the treatment room, the assistant informed me that the patient's pain was in the upper right quadrant ...Read Article
Nov/Dec 2004
Atypical Earache Otomandibular Symptoms
There is a close relationship between disorders of the jaw/neck and symptoms of the ear ...Read Article
Jul/Aug 2004
Women and Chronic Pain
Neuromuscular problems (neck, back, and head pain) are the second most common pain next to viral- and bacterial-induced pain ...Read Article
October 2003
Legal Vulnerability
It is common knowledge that any professional committing a significant error may incur a lawsuit ...Read Article
July 2003
Mouthpiece May Treat Tension Headaches - Many Chronic Tension Headaches Rooted in Jaw Problems
People who suffer from frequent tension headaches might be better off seeking help from their dentist rather than their doctor...Read Article
Jul/Aug 2003
Osteoarthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint is a unilateral, degenerative disease of the jaw joint ...Read Article
November 2002
Diagnosis and Management of Nondental Toothache
The patient who presents with a toothache or tooth pain that has no obvious dental etiology poses a diagnostic dilemma for the clinician ...Read Article
Jan/Feb 2002
Head Pains
Until recently, scientific literature on headaches did not seem to answer a myriad diagnostic questions related to caring for patients ...Read Article
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