Search Results for: blog do you grind your teeth

TMJ Dos and Don’ts

TMJ — temporomandibular joint syndrome — can be a real pain. But these dos and don’ts can help ease your discomfort. DO: Try to increase blood flow to your jaw. Apply ice OR moist heat (like a warm, wet washcloth) — but don’t alternate. Pick one and stick with it. Heat works best for some; ice works best for others. Try gentle stretching and facial massage. This is another way to increase blood flow to the jaw. Support your jaw with a moldable mouth guard. Holding your jaw steady can help relieve symptoms of TMJ temporarily. Limit jaw movement. When … Continue reading →

Oral Care for Pets — Make it Easy on Yourself

I bet you can think of a lot of things you’d rather do besides brush your pet’s teeth. It’s not easy, and it’s not much fun, either. But there are some things you can do to make it easy to keep your pet’s pearly whites healthy. Get your pet used to you handling his mouth — before you even get the brush out. Touch his face, lift his lips, and rub his gums. Be patient. This can take a while. Pick out an appropriate toothbrush. You may feel most comfortable with a brush that slips over your index finger — … Continue reading →

Amphetamines: What Do They Do?

Originally used as a treatment for asthma and as a nasal decongestant, amphetamines were first manufactured as early as 1887. Because they suppress the appetite, amphetamines were often used to assist in weight loss. Amphetamines are still prescribes for certain forms of narcolepsy (a sleeping disorder where the person falls asleep unexpectedly) and for ADHD, Ritalin being one of the more famous amphetamines used for medical purposes today. Street amphetamines, by contrast, are made in homemade labs and hence are not manufactured under the strict guidelines of pharmaceutical-grade drugs. Hence the raw ingredient, often sources from drugstores as nasal decongestants … Continue reading →

Why Chewing Gum Is Good For You

Bring enough gum for everybody — because chewing gum can be good for you! Chewing a sugar-free gum after meals can help neutralize acids that turn into plaque on your teeth. This reduces your risk of developing cavities! Cinnamon is a natural germ killer. Cinnamon gum can help bust bad breath. Minty gums can help too, but the sweet scent may just cover up the problem, not neutralize the germs in your mouth. Chewing gum can help you lose weight — studies have shown that people who chew gum between meals tend to snack less. Whether the chewing motion keeps … Continue reading →

All About Your Choppers

Posted on by

What’s your Tooth IQ? Let’s see if you know the basics. Every tooth has three parts: the crown, the neck, and the root. The crown is the visible part of the tooth — what you see above the gum line. This is where the enamel is; enamel protects your crown. The neck is the part of the tooth between the crown and the root. The root is the part of the tooth that goes through the gums and down into the jawbone. A child has twenty baby teeth, also known as temporary teeth, primary teeth, or deciduous teeth. Four first … Continue reading →

Do Children Grind Their Teeth?

Teeth grinding isn’t just an adult problem! As much as a third of all children grind their teeth at certain points in their lives. When do children grind their teeth? Most grinding happens at two points in development: when the baby teeth first emerge and when the permanent (adult) teeth come in. The majority of children will stop grinding their teeth once the baby teeth and adult teeth have come in more fully. Just like adults, children tend to grind their teeth during sleep, rather than when awake. And just like adults, children can experience jaw pain, headaches, wear on … Continue reading →

Do You Grind Your Teeth?

Many people grind and/or clench their teeth from time to time. When I’m stressed, I often catch myself clenching my teeth (and my shoulders take up residence somewhere around my ears). Occasional teeth grinding — known as bruxism — does not usually do any lasting damage. However, teeth grinding on a regular basis can lead to damage and other complications. Why do people grind their teeth? Bruxism is most often caused by an abnormal bite, missing teeth, or crooked teeth — and most teeth grinding happens during sleep. Sometimes, stress and/or anxiety can be a cause of teeth grinding, too. … Continue reading →

Heart Sick: How Stress Destroys Health

Study after study shows that stress is a destroyer of health, causing disease and disability. The emotional toll of abuse is manifested in physical stress. Anger, guilt, and fear produce specific physiological reactions that wear down the body. Over time this stress produces physical symptoms that are impossible to ignore or medicate. These can include: – Digestive difficulties including ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome – Heartbeat irregularities – Chronic fatigue – Tightness of the chest – Difficulty breathing or hyperventilation – Muscle tension or shakiness – Headaches – Loss of appetite – Binge eating – Chronic illness such as colds … Continue reading →

Cars Land: Grand for “Cars” Fans

We all know how I feel about “Cars.” So I will force myself not to spend this article grinding my teeth over how, despite lackluster reviews, merchandising sales for “Cars 2” were so phenomenal, even before the film came out, that it was considered a success. Such a success (again, even before its release) that Disneyland’s California Adventure Park is adding a new attraction: Cars Land. The official Disney Parks blog has posted a series of articles lately on it, exploring what it will entail and highlighting its 2009 groundbreaking. “Cars” fans start your engines: the attraction dedicated to the … Continue reading →

The Physical Effects of Anxiety

It may start in your head, but chronic anxiety – day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year – inevitably elicits some pretty profoundly negative responses from the rest of your body. So if you’re living with anxiety, as well as a painful or troublesome physical condition – particularly of the heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, skin, immune system, reproductive system, weight and/or head (as in headaches) – it’s time to make the connection. You may literally be making yourself sick with worry. As shared in my new book, Overcoming, Anxiety, Worry, and Fear: Practical Ways to … Continue reading →