Morgantown Dental Group

If you experience frequent headaches and pain in your lower jaw, check your posture and consult your dentist about temporomandibular disorder (TMD), recommends the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.

Poor posture places the spine in a position that causes stress to the jaw joint. When people slouch or hunch over, the lower jaw shifts forward, causing the upper and lower teeth to not fit together properly, and the skull moves back on the spinal column.

This movement puts stress on muscles, joints and bones and, if left untreated, can create pain and inflammation in muscles and joints when the mouth opens and closes.

“Good posture is important, yet many people don’t realize how posture affects their oral health,” says AGD spokesperson Ludwig Leibsohn, DDS.

Dr. Leibsohn treats patients who have complained of facial pain. “Their posture often is unbalanced, and this rearranges the position of the facial muscles, causing the bumps and grooves on the upper and lower teeth not to fit properly together,” said Dr. Leibsohn.

An oral appliance can help align the teeth in a position that will reduce facial pain caused by poor posture. The appliance can also prevent future damage to teeth.

Getting plenty of vitamin C is one way oral surgery patients can ensure timely recovery. Patients who neglect nutrition might be tacking extra days onto their recovery time, reports the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

Deficiencies of vitamin C have been shown to significantly slow the healing process. AGD spokesperson Ludi Leibson, DDS, says he sometimes gives oral surgery patients high doses of vitamin C and multi-vitamin supplements before surgery.

A patient’s diet is crucial because adequate and appropriate vitamins, minerals, fats and protein are essential for the growth and regeneration of normal tissues.

“You’re going to delay the healing process and increase the possibility of infection if you’re not getting the proper nutrients,” says Dr. Leibson.

Nutrients function individually as well as cooperatively in the healing process. The energy needed for tissue maintenance and repair is supplied by carbohydrates, fat and protein. Along with vitamin C, vitamins A, E, B, K and D are all integral to the healing process and a speedier recovery time. For example, vitamin A significantly contributes to healing by reducing the inflammatory period of tissue repair.

If you are severely underweight or overweight, have recently lost weight, suffer from an acute or chronic disease or take medications such as steroids, immunosuppressants or chemotherapeutic agents, your nutrition status may negatively affect recovery from oral surgery. Dr. Leibson says he rarely sees patients who are malnourished, but that if someone is nutritionally compromised they should consider delaying oral surgery until they are no longer at risk.

Naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth devour sugar, creating acids that attack tooth enamel. This can lead to decay, as well as a host of other problems, including gingivitis.

Living in a culture that moves as quickly as ours, it’s easy to bypass a nutritious diet in favor of a diet comprised of fast food and snacks high in sugar. The detrimental effects of this lifestyle are clear. More than 25 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 5 have experienced tooth decay, and almost 80 percent of young people have had a cavity by age 17.

“We live in a high-stress society and fast food offers a quick fix,” says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Maria A. Smith, DMD, MAGD.

She adds that an overabundance of sugar is not only detrimental to oral health, but also the rest of the body’s well-being.

For example, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar; and many manufacturers incorporate sugar into their foods to help ensure a return purchase. Today, the average person consumes approximately 150 pounds of sugar a year, or about 40 teaspoons a day. It’s not only our culture that defines the amount of sugar we consume, but also a lack of education on how much sugar we consume every day – especially when it comes to children and the elderly. Dr. Smith says parents may believe they are doing right by feeding their children processed fruit juice or raisins, however products such as these are mostly sugar. Processed foods also can be harmful because of the low-nutrition and high-sugar content. Substituting these products for fresh fruits and vegetables is a better option.

“People don’t realize how many high-content sugar products are out there,” Dr. Smith says. “Education is the key to creating a nutritious diet.” Visiting the dentist twice a year, says Dr. Smith, is a good way to maintain oral health and learn how to curb an excessive sugar intake. Additionally, eating an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables and carefully reading nutrition content labels can curb sugar intake.

-Information provided courtesy of the AGD