The Institute of Medicine estimates that 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, costing the country $600 billion a year in medical treatment and lost productivity. “We need to address this in a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary way and include prevention as a very important goal,” said Dr. Phillip Pizzo, chairman of IOM’s Congress-commissioned committee charged with studying pain, its management, and potential policy changes.
Dr. Sam Muslin of California – the developer of non-surgical Face Lift Dentistry® overbite correction method – concurs with the importance of prioritizing pain management and health optimization.
“In general, chronic pain is not optimally addressed. Healthcare providers cannot focus on just the symptoms anymore,” says Dr. Muslin. “We dentists need to do our part. We need to look beyond the temporary or cosmetic solutions and get to the source of our patients’ problems. If they are in pain, doctors need to do more than just give them drugs. We must raise the bar and treat the cause of the problem rather than just the symptoms.”
The National Institutes for Health estimates that 10 million people suffer from some degree of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and muscle disorder. A significant overbite can contribute to TMJ Disorder – jaw pain, headaches, and other manifestations of pain, says Dr. Muslin, whose state-of-the-art office is in Santa Monica.
Many of Dr. Muslin’s local and international clients suffer from a deep overbite or have an under bite problem. With overbites, their teeth don’t align properly, they’re less than satisfied with their small-looking chins and collapsing facial profiles, and their speech is not as clear as they would like. They have premature aging, and TMJ pain often is a constant companion.
Abnormal stress on teeth displaces the jaw joints, transmitting signals to the fifth cranial nerve. This trigeminal nerve – the largest of 12 cranial nerves – acts as the sensory control center for the entire head and face. It can refer pain and other symptoms throughout the rest of the upper body, as well.
Using his no-tooth grinding, non-invasive alternative to surgery and braces, Dr. Muslin assesses and corrects bite mechanic problems. He deals with underlying decay, gum infection, bone loss, nerve damage and joint dysfunction, which contribute to systemic health problems. By building up the teeth in the right planes, that positions the lower jaw in a less traumatic position, Dr. Muslin relieves jaw joint stress, which in turn takes pressure off muscles and nerves in the neck, back, face and shoulder areas. Headaches can be less intense and even disappear. The constant dull aches dissipate.
Chronic pain sufferers have stop taking medication, because their pain has vanished or is significantly less after his exclusive Face Lift Dentistry® method. They don’t have to go to the chiropractor as often and can get a good night’s sleep and be productive at work the next day because they aren’t in pain. Attitude and moods shift for the better, when pain is not pushing a person to the edge of their last nerve, explains Dr. Muslin.
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