Category: health

does fibromyalgia affect your teeth

Does fibromyalgia affect your teeth?

Rick Simmmons Leave a comment

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that particularly affects the muscles and cannot be said to be a dental problem. But to answer the question “does fibromyalgia affect your teeth?” the answer is yes. People who are affected with this muscle defect are at risk of developing oral problem and teeth cavities.  However, this can be prevented when you visit a dental care provider at Burwood.

How does fibromyalgia affect your teeth

Dental problems arise through associated symptoms of fibromyalgia such as temporomandibular joint pain. Temporomandibular causes facial pain, mastication problems, and muscle pain in the jaw, ear, and neck. Temporomandibular joint is the most affected by fibromyalgia, It’s with this reason that fibromyalgia somehow relates to teeth problem.

Dental problems associated with fibromyalgia

a) Xerostomia

Drugs such as muscle relaxants, anti-depressant, hypotonic, and others which are given to treat fibromyalgia may give rise to xerostomia (dry mouth). Having xerostomia and fibromyalgia together may give rise to other dental condition. Saliva plays an important role in acid and carbohydrate neutralization when taking food. Lack of saliva in the mouth can, therefore, lead to an attack on teeth and even gum.

Dry mouth means that there is no saliva generated and these leaves the teeth vulnerable to decay. Having this condition may require one to take extra care of teeth.

b) Teeth grinding does fibromyalgia affect your teeth

This is a another dental condition that may arise due to fibromyalgia. This condition causes the wearing out of the teeth enamel. This is very risky as it may cause extreme pain and even breakage of teeth. Teeth grinding can be controlled by wearing a mouth guard at all times.

c) Mastication problem

Fibromyalgia causes pain to teeth and this becomes very painful when chewing. A person may find it difficult to chew food using his teeth due to the pain.

In conclusion

Proper brushing and cleaning of teeth are very important when you have fibromyalgia. Always ensure that your mouth is moisturized and do regular flossing.

Why would calcium deficiency limit muscle contractions?

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Calcium is a vital mineral in the body that is responsible for normal muscle contractions, bone growth, nerve function, and teeth growth. When there isn’t enough calcium, people’s teeth  grow in crooked, overlapping, or twisted. But with the help of an orthodontist, it should be rectified.

The normal concentration of calcium in the blood ranges from 8.5 – 10.5 mg/dl and concentrations lower than that lead to hypocalcemia a condition characterized by neuromuscular irritation. The question on,” why would calcium deficiency limit muscle contractions?” is answered by the triggering mechanism of calcium levels on muscle contracting proteins.

Calcium blood concentrations are directly linked to muscular contraction by triggering myofilament proteins of the muscles called the actin and myosin proteins via regulatory mechanisms using troponin and tropomyosin proteins. Actin and myosin proteins are located alongside each other and when the muscles are signaled to contract by the brain, calcium pumps in the body are triggered to release calcium ions into the muscle cells where they will bind to troponin protein causing it to move away from tropomyosin. Since tropomyosin movement is controlled by troponin, tropomyosin will move in the same direction as troponin. This causes the actin and myosin proteins to move unto each other causing muscle contraction.

In the case of calcium deficiency, muscle contraction is inhibited as the regulatory mechanism of calcium ion binding to troponin is inhibited and thus troponin and tropomyosin remain in their position causing myosin and actin to separate away from each other leading to muscle relaxation. Prolonged calcium deficiency will eventually lead to muscle weakness, muscle cramps, difficulty in walking, numbness, and disability.

Therefore, it is important to prevent calcium deficiency in the body by;

•Increasing dietary intake of high calcium foods such as green vegetables and cereal food.
•Reducing the intake of high protein and fat food which inhibit calcium absorption in the body.
•Taking calcium supplements such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and calcium citrate.
•Increasing intake of vitamin D rich foods such as orange juice and salmon fish increases the rate of calcium absorption into the bloodstream.
•Exercising regularly which increases calcium absorption.
•Reducing the intake and use of alcohol and caffeine.
•Taking calcium deficiency prescriptions of calcium tablets that will supplement calcium in the body.

chiropractic jaw adjustment

Chiropractic Jaw Adjustment

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Many people usually think that going to a chiropractor simply means that you need spine adjustment. However, chiropractors can adjust other body parts including the jaw. Note that the jaw is a type of a working joint that facilitates various movements. And because it can move up and down or sideways, it’s possible for it to be misaligned. In case of misalignment, it can be caused by certain oral conditions and you can learn some of them when you visit this link: https://www.piazzadental.com.au/pymble/. Otherwise, it’s possible to go for a chiropractic jaw adjustment to fix this problem.

Causes of Jaw Misalignment

The jaw functions just like most joints. It consists of temporal-mandibular joints which are found on either side. And like the spinal code, this joint has a disc which acts as a protective cushion. However, there are times when the disc or joint may fail to function effectively and this could be as a result of various factors which include:

•Poor head posture
•Teeth grinding
•Prolonged dental procedures chiropractic jaw adjustment
•Stress and trauma caused by injuries or blunt force

When to Undergo a Chiropractic Jaw Adjustment

There is a wide range of issues that may force you to seek the services of a chiropractor. Some of the possible jaw issues and associated problems that you may experience include:

•Jaw pain
•Headaches and neck pain
•Weakened jaw muscles
•Inability to completely close your mouth or fully open it i.e. a locked or stiff jaw
•Grinding sounds along the jaw or clicking

If you experience one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms, it means that your jaw needs to be adjusted. The chiropractor will adjust it depending on the symptoms and the position of the disc. Note that the adjustment process usually involves the use of hands and sometimes an instrument that’s known as the “activator.” The overall goal of this procedure is to ensure that your jaw is a realigned in order to reduce joint tension and ease pressure on the muscles which are around it.