To understand Neuromuscular Dentistry, it helps to first know a few things about your occlusion, "bite." Your occlusion is the way your upper and lower teeth fit together. If your teeth do not align properly, the muscles and joints accommodate. A mis-aligned bite often leads to muscles that are overworked when they should be relaxed, leading to various painful conditions. Neuromuscular Dentistry is a term applied to techniques that expand upon the traditional approach to dentistry, and considers the entire system that controls the positioning and functioning of the jaw. The Neuromuscular dentist seeks to establish a jaw position based on a harmonious relationship of the three main factors affecting occlusion - the teeth, muscles and jaw joints. The resulting jaw position is called the neuromuscular bite.

Sleep Apnea

People with sleep apnea stop breathing while they sleep, sometimes hundreds of times per night, and sometimes for a minute or longer. Sleep apnea affects about 18 million people of all ages in the U.S. and takes three forms: obstructive, central and mixed. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form, occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat closes, blocking (obstructing) the person's airway. The airway remains open in central sleep apnea, but the brain does not send signals to the muscles involved in breathing. Mixed sleep apnea combines aspects of the obstructive and central types. A common warning sign of sleep apnea is snoring (especially snoring interspersed with gasps or lack of breathing) although it is not always as a result of sleep apnea.

Because sufferers are roused from sleep briefly to resume proper breathing, disrupting and lowering the quality of a person's rest, sleep apnea can cause a number of problems. If left untreated, it can result in high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, headaches, and daytime fatigue leading to job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.

The most commonly prescribed treatment by physicians is a CPAP breathing machine which the vast majority of patients find too cumbersome and noisy to sleep with. Dr. Neuhaus, however, works exclusively with a very comfortable SomnoMed oral appliance that repositions your jaw as you sleep to help open your airway and prevent snoring. If you think you are suffering from sleep apnea, talk with Dr. Neuhaus. He will discuss which treatment is right for you.

Snoring

The sounds of snoring occur the same way that sounds when we speak are made. When air flows past our throat while sleeping, the tissues vibrate and create the sounds we recognize as snoring. Snoring is very common and occurs at least occasionally in almost half of all adults. Men are more likely to snore than women.

When we sleep, our throat muscles relax and vibrate when air tries to pass through but it blocked. Snoring can be brought on by nasal congestion, alcohol consumption, sleep apnea or simply the anatomy of your mouth. If your tonsils are enlarged, your airway can be narrower and vibrate more when air tries to flow through. Being overweight can also contribute to a narrowed airway.

You may not be aware that you snore unless it is brought to your attention by someone else. Your snoring may disrupt your proper sleeping patterns as well as someone else's. Heavy snorers may suffer from sleep apnea, a condition when snoring is frequently interrupted by periods of completely obstructed breathing. These periods, lasting up to 10 seconds, interrupt proper sleep.

While snoring may seem harmless, it is a serious medical condition that requires treatment to prevent future health problems for you and others. Talk to Dr. Neuhaus today if you suffer from snoring.

Pure Power Mouthguard™

Do you realize how important the jaw is when it comes to power and strength? A properly aligned jaw can be the difference between performing and performing to full capacity. Custom fitted and designed, the Pure Power Mouthguard has 40 years of proven neuromuscular dentistry research behind it. Simply put, it's a custom mouthpiece that not only protects your teeth during sports activities, but it can deliver a boost to your training and performance. Better balance, longer endurance, improved strength, more power and expanded range. You already train hard. Now you can have the power to train smarter, just like the pros Manny Ramirez, Michael Redd, Josh Brown and Tiger Woods, who all won't leave home without their PPM.

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