SELF EXAMINATION
Harry Cooperman DDS
Noboro Miura DDS
This new self exam may be a method for you to find the cause of your complaints.
TEST YOURSELF
This entire self examination, which only takes minutes is carried out by you standing erect in front of a wall mirror. You should be able to see the reflection of your entire face, lower jaw, and neck. Observation for abnormalities
STEP ONE
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING Looking in the mirror(1) Swallow.
Teeth touch lightly.Then separate teeth. Open lips to reveal position of front teeth. Observe this. Do your lower front teeth fit in back of your upper teeth.
(2) Next: Swallow.
Teeth touch slightly. Separate them slightly (open mouth) Do not move head. Open your lower jaw to it's fullest extent. This without sticking out your tongue.
Take about ten seconds to do this. Observe full opening. Then take ten seconds to close your lower jaw. So that the front teeth meet touch again. Observe all motions and movements of your lower jaw reflected in the mirror, during the slow opening and closing of your lower jaw.
Do you hear any noises near your ear joint such as:
(a) Grating (b) Clicking (c) Cracking (d) slipping from left or right side?..or both?Did you notice or see any irregular movements of your jaw such as: snapping, slipping and wiggling side to side that dislodges the jaw from it's joint.
Did you experience any pain during opening and closing?
Was there any difficulty to open your mouth?
Was there any difficulty to close your mouth?
Did your lower jaw glide to the left or right side of your face?
STEP TWO
Observation for POSTURAL developmentNormally your lower jaw should be in postural balance during wide opening and closing. You may have an impairment of your "orthopedic gait" (movement) of your lower jaw.
Abnormal orthopedic gait is usually prevalent in all patients with TMJD in USA and Japan studies.
Continue your self examination
With your palms facing the mirror place small fingers in your ear canals. Swallow. Clench teeth. Separate teeth about one inch and clench again. Repeat this opening several times. Did you notice an vibrations or pressures against the pads of your small fingers?.
Can you detect any vibrations, pressures, sounds, against the soft pads of your small fingers in either ear canals?
With small fingers in both your ear canals protrude your lower front teeth against biting edges of your upper front teeth as if you were about to bite a thread.
Hold that position.
Open and close your front teeth (about one inch) and each time touch the biting edges of your front teeth .If opening and closing your mouth in the protruded lower jaw position eliminates or improves most of the movements of motion and lessens vibrations, noises and sounds against fingers pads in your ear you could have Uvula Tongue Malposture Syndrome (UTMS).
STEP THREE
Checking Respiratory Disorders.a. Standing erect. Swallow again. All teeth touching together.
b. With lips closed breathe slowly through your nose.
c. Inhale and exhale at the speed of you being asleep.
.
NOTE MOVEMENT OF AIRFLOW THROUGH NOSEd. Without swallowing place your lower teeth against your upper teeth in the position of biting a thread.
e. Again nasal breathing.ANY CHANGES IN YOUR BREATHING?
Is there an improvement of your breathing?
Especially in the edge to edge position?
INTERPRETATION OF YOUR SELF EXAMINATION
If you find:
1. Your jaw wiggles during opening and closing of the mouth.
2. In the teeth edge to edge position, the opening and closing of your lower jaw, the wiggling lessens or disappears.
3. In the teeth edge to edge position the opening and closing of your lower jaw, disturbances in the ears are less detectable against your small finger pads.
4. Nasal breathing is easier when you protrude your lower jaw in the teeth edge to edge position.
Speculate that there is a barricade of your breathing pathways if you answer `yes' to (1),(2),(3). and (4).
Should nasal breathing improve in (4) you are not getting enough air into your lungs.
Shortage of air should be a concern.
Harry Cooperman DDS
777 Ferry Road (P-6)
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, 18901
Phone 215-345-1149
myodont@comcat.com