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13yo girl with back pain, headaches, jaw pain, acid erosion of teeth, ADD, gastric reflux, sleeps poorly….

So what's the connection amongst all these things?  Is it possible there's one condition/issue that is a primary driving force behind all of these that, if addressed, could make an amazing difference in a young girl's life......for her entire life?  The answer is (of course, or I wouldn't be asking such obvious leading questions, right?  LOL :-) ) YES!!!! So what's the driving force behind all these health-issues, and what can be done about it? SLEEP APNEA!!! Let's list all those conditions out again and start connecting the dots: Lower back pain (no history of any accidents or trauma -- this one is a bit of a stretch, but since there are no other contributing factors, and she's been checked for scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and cleared, the fact that she's been suffering from back pain is most likely due to the muscle spasm involved in the other issues, and perhaps she needs a new mattress for better lower back support. Long history of headaches (decreasing somewhat recently, but still significant for a girl only 13 years old) - quite a bit of research now indicates that both chronic tension and migraine headaches are connected to sleep disorders, and it makes sense - if you can't breathe well at night and your brain gets less oxygen than it really needs, your brain/nervous system will get hypersensitized; any little trigger will make it go haywire, make muscles spasm like crazy, and result in headaches. Jaw pain/TMJ pain - Same as with the headaches; when the nervous system goes haywire, the muscles spasm like crazy, and your jaws will hurt; the joints get way too much pressure and pain can result, also the tissue in the [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:45:18-04:00 May 5th, 2009|Bruxism & Parafunction, Cavities, Sleep Apnea & Snoring, Snoring, TMJ Problems, Migraines and Headache Relief|0 Comments
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What Hides Under Old Silver Fillings?

Mercury-Silver Dental Fillings Can Hide Big Problems As I've mentioned, there are 2 basic "philosophies" of dental care, although I didn't really spell them out.  They are (approximately, please understand!): Watch and wait until it it actually hurts or breaks, Diagnose and recommend treatment BEFORE it actually hurts or breaks. As a general rule, at Smiles by Payet Dentistry, we follow the second philosophy.  The key to remember, though, is that it is ALWAYS up to YOU to decide when to actually proceed with treatment.  I'll show you what I see by digital photography and x-rays, give you my recommendations, and then it's up to you to decide what to do about them.  We understand that the treatment has to fit into your life - your budget, your schedule, your priorities.  I give you my word -- I will NEVER pressure you into doing any treatment.  I MAY make some very strong recommendations and urge you to proceed with treatment so that you avoid pain, loss of teeth, or other complication, but it's still your decision, and we promise to respect that. How Do We Catch Dental Cavities? One of the tricky parts of dentistry is this: we can't see through old fillings and crowns and bridges, not even with digital x-rays, digital photography, not even with the Zeiss PICO dental microscope that I use.  We can only see things AROUND them.  And while silver amalgam fillings are a perfectly acceptable treatment, they hide a multitude of evils. [...]

By | 2014-06-10T08:38:49-04:00 January 12th, 2009|Cavities, Taking Care of Your Teeth|0 Comments
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Single-visit, all-ceramic crowns with CEREC CAD/CAM

Another exciting technology that we offer is the CEREC CAD/CAM system.  Very simply put, with CEREC we are able to design, mill, glaze, custom-stain, and bond an all-ceramic crown or onlay IN JUST ONE VISIT.  That's right - no temporary crown or onlay, no second appointment to get numb, no worries about the temporary falling out.  When you come in, you need the crown done, and when you leave -- it's DONE.  Finito.  Finished.  Complete..........you get the idea.  ;-) Sylvia's case this morning, an old silver filling that had cracks in the tooth around it, new decay forming at the edges, and discomfort when biting, meaning the tooth was truly starting to crack and might have broken apart.

By | 2010-11-14T13:00:26-05:00 December 17th, 2008|Cavities, Porcelain Crowns|0 Comments
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