TMJ Disorders

Many people suffer from frequent (chronic) headaches, back pain, neck pain and stiffness, tired jaws and facial pain.  Did you know that these symptoms are quite possibly caused by TMD?  Temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD occurs when the alignment or occlusion does not match with the correct jaw joint or muscle position.  Over a period of time the muscles maintain themselves in an altered state of hyperfunction which is perceived in the brain as a “balanced position” causing further damage.  Dr. Morris can craft an orthotic splint to put your jaw in its correct position by relaxing the muscles and alleviating your symptoms with more predictable results.

Sleep Disordered Breathing

Do You Snore?

Do you wake up tired in the morning?

Do you suffer from headaches? 

Do you have high blood pressure?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could be suffering from sleep disordered breathing.

Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB)

Is defined as labored respiration during sleep caused by airway obstruction.  If you suffer from SDB, as you fall asleep you experience a loss muscle tone called airway patency.  The soft tissues in your airway relax against the tongue, partially cutting off air flow to your lungs.  SDB can be severe to the point of complete airway collapse.  Those who suffer from SDB experience breathing difficulty ranging from mild to acute: snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  Snoring is always indicative of the development of existence of a sleep breathing disorder. UARS is more common in younger women, and is often accompanied by headaches, Gastroesophegeal Reflux (GERD), and asthma.  OSA is, as defined by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, "a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions during sleep...repeated periods of no breathing for at least 10 seconds at a time."  These periods are called apenic events and can last longer than one minute.

Sleep Therapy

There is a clear relationship between occlusion, upper airway, head posture, TMD and sleep related disorders  which is why snoring is no laughing matter.  Snoring can be a warning sign of sleep apnea, a serious health problem where the airway closes during sleep and may even become life-threatening.  Indications of poor sleep include daytime sleepiness, gasping for air and dozing easily when reading, sitting or driving.  Dr. Morris works in conjunction with other physicians and sleep centers to help diagnose this potentially fatal disease.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

After completing his advanced residency in TMJ and sleep therapy at the world renowned TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre International in San Diego, California, Dr. Morris has acquired the intense special education and training needed to diagnose and treat T.M.D. and sleep apnea patients.  If you or a loved one is suffering from one or both of these conditions please contact our office for an evaluation. 

To learn more about how healthy your sleep is, schedule a Sleep Therapy consultation with Dr. Morris.