Ever wondered if an incorrect bite, an improper restoration or a missing teeth in your mouth can lead to other health complications. According to Dr Fonder, the relationship between the upper and the lower jaw can affect over 50% of the body functions. A dysfunctional bite (improper relationship of upper and lower jaws) can create disturbance throughout distant areas of the Body. Macmillan in his article states that over 50% of the brain is related to the dental area. These disturbances cause the ‘Dental Distress Syndrome’.
What causes Dental Distress Syndrome (DDS)?
Half the programming of the brain comes from the dental area. A stressful bite will send the wrong signals to the brain. A confused stimuli is accepted as a fact by the brain, which in turn will be sending faulty information/feedback to the other parts of your body. With improper feedback, diseases will appear in various parts of the body gradually. Correction of the malocclusion rectifies these ‘chronic’ diseases. Conditions that can cause DDS are
- The loss of teeth
- Misalignment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
- Excessive wear on the teeth
- Underdeveloped upper jaw
- Traumatic injuries to the jaw
- Mouth breathing in children
What are the symptoms of DDS?
A total of 136 muscles are responsible in positioning you lower jaw. Very few people realise that the teeth and the jaws are an extension of the brain and the spinal cord. Both the systems work on the principle of ‘Proprioception’. Thus the teeth, the brain and other functional systems are profoundly intertwined in an ‘elegant ecology.’ You can present any of these symptoms from mild to severe depending on the disturbance in this ecology.
- Headaches
- pain or tenderness in the joint (TMJ) area
- difficulty in opening or closing mouth
- dizziness
- hearing loss
- depression
- worrying
- nervousness
- forgetfulness
- insomnia
- sinusitis
- fatigue
- indigestion
- constipation
- dermatitis
- allergies
- frequent urination
- kidney and bladder complications
- cold hands and feet
- numbness
- body posture problems and
- excessive grinding or gnashing of teeth
These symptoms can be present subclinically from an early age due to tooth extraction, teeth fillings/crowns, previous orthodontic work, adenoid/tonsil problems as children, trauma or environmental allergies.
How is DDS treated?
Talk to your dentist, if you have any of the above symptoms especially, if there are associated dental problems. Your dentist will help you by including one or more of these treatment methods.
- Mouth splints
- Massage or physical therapy
- Orthodontics
- Dental restorations
- Detoxfication
- Replacement of missing teeth
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