Dr. Konig's Blog

Center for Cosmetic & Comprehensive Dentistry

Archive for February, 2012

Headaches from your bite?

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Headaches are debilitating and alter the quality of life for patients.  Yesterday, I was talking with several TMJ patients in our office who both told me that not having headaches has changed their lives.  One TMJ patient, who was a migraine patient, expressed to me that she did not realize how bad she was feeling until we were able to get rid of her migraine headaches.

Humans have an adaptive response which allows us to live with certain maladies.  What patients often do not realize is that headaches are only one component of TMJ symptoms or TMD issues.  Many times TMJ or your bite also causes neck issues and postural problems.  The reason for this is the body tries to adapt to the bad bite by causing a forward neck posture which affects the neck by causing a straight neck or loss of lordosis. Other times, the shift in jaw position can cause rotation of C1 and C2.

Ironically, the jaw joints do not even have to hurt and there can be TMJ related problems as it affects the muscles. This muscle tension can cause headaches.

TMJ treatment is more than just the mouth, the astute TMJ dentist should be looking at the whole body as well as the jaw joint and teeth.  TMJ is a complex medical issue and should be viewed as such so that patients quality of life can be improved.

So many times TMJ dysfunction is overlooked as a cause of headaches and migraines.

If you have questions regarding TMJ Treatment Houston, TMJ pain Houston, or TMJ dentist houston, please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Porcelain Veneers and Gummy Smiles

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Cosmetic Dentistry is more than just placing veneers.  Like a beautiful picture frame will accent a picture. In the photos below, notice the asymetrical gumline and rotation of the teeth.  A laser gumlift was used to create a less gummy and more even smileline and veneers were used to straighten the teeth and lighten the shade.  Additionally, the use of the lasersis painless!

The photos truly reflect how considering the whole picture has a tremendous affect on the outcome.

If you have any questions about Cosmetic Dentistry Houston or Porcelain Veneers Houston, please do not hesitate to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig  DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

How does TMJ cause Tinnitis

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

TMJ problems or jaw joint problems can cause numerous head and neck symptoms ranging from tinnitus, ear congestion, headaches, and facial pain.  Please recognize that there is more than one cause of innitus and a medical exam from an ENT is the first doctor to see.  Many times our referrals are from ENT’s who did not find anything wrong with the patients ears.

So how does TMJ cause this ringing of the ears?  What happens is that the tensore tympani nerve stimulates the tensor tympani muscle that attaches to the hamulus on the eardrum which in vibrates causing  “ringing in the ears”.  This can often be treated with neuromuscular TMJ treatment, patients sometimes have other symptoms too. 

Other patients who hear a “whooshing sound” sometimes have a ponticle formations on the neck vertebrae. This is a bridge that forms around or over the vertebral artery. So when it starts to impinge on this artery patients hear this sound. The bridging is most often a result of clenching and a change in neck posture.   In these patients, we often see other signs such as wear on the teeth and notching on the gonial angles of the jaw bone.

If you have questions about TMJ Houston, Texas or TMJ pain Houston, Texas please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Patient Recommendations for Dry Mouth

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Dry Mouth continues to be a serious problem causing teeth to rapidly decay and causing discomfort.  Dry mouth can be caused by numerous prescription medications and mouth breathing as well.

Some suggestions for those experiencing these issues:

1)    Follow a low carbohydrate diet

2)    Sip water frequently to keep the mouth moist and help in swallowing food

3)    Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco

4)    Avoid sticky, hard, or acidic food

5)    Be meticulous with oral hygiene and increase the frequency of oral care and evaluations

6)    Consider getting your teeth cleaned professionally more frequently and using a prescription toothpaste such as clinipro 500.

 

Dry mouth can be damaging to all types of dentistry from dental implants, porcelain veneers and porcelain crowns and the natural teeth.

If you have questions about Veneers Houston, Texas or Cosmetic Dentistry Houston , Texas please feel free to call our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF 713-668-2289

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Do You Have Bleeding Gums?

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Bleeding gums are not normal and not healthy.

Periodontal diseases is a common condition that may lead to tooth loss. Patients with periodontal disease may also note:

-red or shiny gums

-gums that bleed

-tender gums when touched or having their teeth cleaned

 

More advanced cases may also note:

-swollen gums

-bad breath

-loose teeth

 

On top of this, research has proven over and over that gum disease causes significant health issues.  Generally speaking, not treating this gum disease causes an increased systemic inflammatory burden on the body, therefore, this gum disease may increase the independently increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. More and more research is leading to an understanding that this also is linked to respiratory and other medical diseases.

If you have any questions about bleeding gums, Houston or Cosmetic Dentistry Houston, please call our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Headaches and TMJ

Headaches are a very common complaint for many patients and a large percentage of our TMJ patients found our office by looking for headache relief.  These patients were not aware that they had TMJ problems that were causing their pain.

There are many different ways that TMJ dysfunction can cause headaches.  Some patients have degeneration in their joints which in turn causes muscle tension. Others have bad bites that places abnormal strain on the muscles which causes muscle tension and in turn  headaches as well.

As human beings, we have to eat, swallow , and speak in which our teeth come together over 2500 times a day.  If our teeth are in a position that strains these muscles and damages the joints headaches can and do occur.

In most TMJ cases, either the joints, teeth, or muscles pay the price. By this I mean the joints become damaged, or the teeth wear down or there is muscle pain and many times headaches.

If you have questions about TMJ Houston or Headaches, Houston please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Non-Orthodontic Straightening of Teeth with Veneers

Monday, February 6th, 2012

There are many times when patients can have a choice between doing orthodontics (braces or Invisalign) or choosing to do porcelain veneers.  Some considerations are

1) Is the bite stabile?

2) Is the patient happy with the color of the teeth

3) Are there any restorative needs such as decay or crowns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the patient is happy with the color of their teeth and just wants them to be straight, then sometimes doing orthodontics is a good choice.  However, if one is not happy with the color of their teeth and whitening has not worked, or if the teeth are broken or chipped as well, then many times non-orthodontic straightening with porcelain veneers may be a good option.

The photo shows a gentleman who benefitted from veneers in this manner. Notice how straight the teeth are and no retainers are needed either.

If you have questions about cosmetic dentistry Houston, Texas or Veneers Houston, Texas  please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF  713-668-2289

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Headaches and TMJ Problems

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Headaches are a very common complaint for many patients and a large percentage of our TMJ patients found our office by looking for headache relief.  Many of these patients were not aware that they had TMJ problems that were causing their pain. (Of course, medical clearance to rule out other factors are essential)

Why does this happen? There is more than one reason, however, simply stated:

Your lower (mandible) jaw is attached to your skull by the temporomandibular joints  and muscles. These joints also have ligaments, synovial spaces, and nerves. If your jaw is not positioned properly, it is strained every time you swallow, eat, or close your mouth. It is estimated that over 10 million Americans suffer from TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome). This strained musculature in the head can cause headaches and migraines. 

Your teeth do not have to look bad to have these issues.  Another factor that comes into play is when a lot of patients develop TMJ they also develop a forward head posture to compensate for this.  This forward head posture further strains the neck muscles which also become involved and can cause neck pain and more headaches.

In short, TMJ problems also affect posture.  In fact, short leg syndrome also plays a role.  There are many factors and the TMJ dentist can help many patients and the exam and treatment should also encompass a posture exam, neck exam including C1/C2 evaluation and joint exam.  Additional, a CBCT 3D provides a wealth of information and diagnostic information.

Headaches from TMJ issues are treatable non-surgically.

If you have any questions about TMJ Houston,Texas or Headaches Houston,Texas or Migraine Headaches, Houston  please feel free to contact our office, 713-668-2289, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF

 

If you have any questions

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS).