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The dental system is composed of your teeth, gums, and jaws and supporting bones, as well as the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons that support them. Like any system, all of the parts must function properly for the benefit of the whole system. As the human body is composed of many systems, the dental system must be looked upon the same way. It is one system in a group of systems that must each work properly for the benefit of the whole body. Below is a brief discussion of how the dental system works and how it influences other systems. The Dental System Functions include chewing, swallowing, speaking, supplementing airway, posture stabilization. The effects on the parts of the dental system vary depending on the nature of the dysfunction. The common tooth symptoms are wear on the teeth, gum recession, bone loss, temperature sensitivity, and gumline erosions. The effects on the joints typically produce clicking or popping joints, joint or jaw pain, lockjaw, and ear symptoms. The effects on the muscular system are spasming and cramping, more commonly known as headaches (including migraines) and neckaches. Skeletal Posture Skeletal posture is controlled at the two ends of the spine. The lower end is attached at the hips and the upper at the head via the neck. When you have a postural distortion or imbalance, the body has a compensation pattern which is either ascending- coming up from the hips- or descending- coming down from the head. Pain or discomfort are not experienced until the compensation hits an end point- a point where the body can no longer adjust painlessly to compensate for the underlying cause. Treating the compensations (symptoms) and not the actual imbalances is like mowing over a weed; the roots are still in the ground and the weed will grow again. With ascending compensation patterns, the feet and ankles are looked to for the origin. For descending compensation patterns, it is the teeth and jaw that are the culprit. The relationship between the lower jaw and the head controls the posture of the head which in turn effects everything beneath it. How the teeth fit together (occlusion)- the bite- is a determining factor in how the lower jaw relates to the upper jaw. When the jaw is out of position, and the head is not properly balanced on the neck, the vertebrae and the muscles that control them are forced to compensate. This explains how a bad "bite" can produce headaches, neckaches, upper back and shoulder pain, and even lower back pain. Read about Posture and Dental Health Hearing and Balance When the jaw is out of position and functioning improperly, it produces several effects in the ears. Ringing in the ears, whooshing sounds, excessive wax buildup, pain in the ears, middle ear infections in kids, dizziness, and hearing loss are all manifestations of jaw function disorder. Airway and Breathing As the roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose, a narrow, high arched palate encroaches on the nasal cavity. This commonly produces the deviated septum problem, as well as a reduced airway for the air to pass through when breathing. Also, a retruding chin, which is simply poor lower jaw posture, influences tongue posture and results in a reduction in the airway in the throat. When one or both of these problems exist, the airway is compromised. This compromised airway produces problems like allergies and mouth breathing; sleep disorders like snoring and sleep apnea. Read about Airway
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