Sleep apnea is a serious sleep breathing disorder, and the consequences can go far beyond being unable to get a good nights rest. This disorder causes interruptions in your breathing when you sleep. These pauses could occur as many as 30 times per hour lasting as long as 20 seconds each, leaving you fatigued and eventually increasing your risk of several chronic, systemic, and life-threatening ailments.
Sleep apnea sufferers in the Grand Rapids area can find relief from the expert dentists at TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan. Dr. Jerry Mulder and Dr. Allyson Mulder are sleep apnea experts that can provide you with relief. To understand more about this dangerous disorder, here are some frequently asked questions and answers about sleep apnea, its causes, and how we provide treatment.
Sleep apnea occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep, usually because of a collapse of soft tissue in the throat when the muscles become relaxed or because the airway becomes obstructed by the tongue or tonsils. These obstructions can make the airway so small that your system does not receive the adequate amount of airor they may completely cut off the flow of oxygen to the body and brain. Eventually, the lack of oxygen rouses the brain from sleep, sending signals to the body that it needs to breathe. You probably will not even consciously wake up when this happens, but it disrupts the sleep cycle, thus depriving you of the deepest stage of sleep during which restoration to mind and body occur.
Whether you experience a mild, moderate, or severe case of sleep apnea, you are depriving your body of oxygen, a necessary nutrient that helps the body thrive. Diagnosis is vital for any degree of sleep apnea to reduce a variety of health risks.
Sleep apnea dentistry focuses on the root cause of sleep apneathe airway issue causing the problem instead of just treating your fatigue and sleepless nights with medication. At TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan, our doctors can conduct a thorough examination to identify what is causing the airway restriction, and what type of oral appliance is ideal to help you resume the normal airflow and eliminate the obstruction.
We prefer to use oral appliance therapy, rather than CPAP, to treat sleep apnea. All of the oral appliances we use are customized and adjustable. Each oral appliance prescribed by our doctors is adjustable and patient-friendly. Our oral appliances are customized for each patient, based on impressions taken of the mouth. These oral appliances all work in a similar fashionthey keep the lower jaw in its ideal resting position, preventing a collapse of soft tissue and allowing you to maintain an open airway during sleep.
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) often causes patients pain that may be chronic or debilitating, impeding their ability to function on a daily basis. Despite this pain, the indicators and causes of TMD can be somewhat mysterious to general practitioners. Getting a proper diagnosis, much less finding lasting relief, can be difficult if you do not find the right person for help.
The most qualified medical professionals to identify and treat a case of TMD are Grand Rapids neuromuscular dentists Dr. Jerry Mulder and Dr. Allyson Mulder at TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan. Our doctors use the principles of neuromuscular dentistry, applied through state-of-the-art tools and techniques, to diagnose and treat TMD, providing lasting relief from your chronic pain and headaches.
TMD occurs when the temporomandibular joint, which connects your lower jaw to your skull, enters a state of dysfunction. When this occurs, the dysfunction in the joint affects your surrounding network of nerves, joints, and muscles, starting with the jaw joints and eventually spreading through the face, head, neck, and even shoulders, if the disorder goes untreated.
One of the challenges in diagnosing TMD successfully is the fact that symptoms can vary widely. That said, however, pain is a frequently reported symptom of the disorder. This is because the temporomandibular joints are in proximity to the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for transmitting more sensory information to your brain than any other neural pathway in the body. A dysfunction in the temporomandibular joints easily can compress, impact or aggravate the trigeminal nerve, which generates impulses of pain that may lead to headaches or widespread pain.
This pain may manifest in your jaw joints, or in the face, neck, shoulders, or even the back. Pain from TMD may appear to migrate to different teeth or locations in the mouth with no apparent rhyme or reason. Pain also may occur as frequent headaches, which are so intense that they can be and often are misdiagnosed as migraines.
Neuromuscular dentists have the unique training that traditional dentists lack when it comes to diagnosing and treating TMD. Neuromuscular dentistry is a field that uses specific training and technology to determine and restore the ideal alignment of your bite and jaw. This specialization requires significant, rigorous post-graduate education following dental school. At TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan, our doctors possess this post-graduate training and education that makes them ideal for diagnosing and treating TMD.
Our doctors can perform an examination that includes investigating for signs of pain and tenderness in your jaw joints. Our diagnostic method often includes the K-7 system, which uses a combination of electromyography and joint sonography to determine the ideal alignment of your bite and jaws by identifying any clicking or popping sounds as your mouth opens and closes. We also may take digital X-rays to determine the extent of any possible damage to the joint and surrounding bone.
A popular and effective method of treatment for TMD is the prescription of a custom-made oral appliance. These devices look similar to a mouth guard, and each oral appliance is made from digital impressions of the mouth to provide a custom fit. When worn, this oral appliance guides your lower jaw gently into its preferred natural alignment, alleviating the stress on the temporomandibular joints and any other symptoms occurring as consequences of the disorder.
No! Failing to seek treatment is the worst decision you can make if you have been diagnosed with TMD. Only a qualified medical professional like a neuromuscular dentist can identify and resolve the disorder.
Dr. Jerry B. Mulder received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He and his team have been involved in rigorous continuing education programs over the past 25+ years. Much of his continuing education in cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry has been taught at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). He has completed fellowship programs in Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Dental Sleep Disorders at the Academy of Cranial Facial Pain (AACP) in Dallas, TMD residency at the University of Tennessee and a Neuromuscular Orthodontic Residency at AACP in Dallas. He and his daughter are currently pursuing additional education at the Spears Institute in Scottsdale Arizona, as well as becoming certified in Botox, dermal fillers, and TMD Botox injections with the Academy of Facial Anesthetics.
Upon graduation, Dr. Allyson was thrilled to returned to her home base of Grand Rapids, to join her father, Dr. Jerry, in practice. Dr. Allyson is proud to continue her familys special legacy by becoming the fourth generation of dentists in her family. For the last 75+ years, four generations of Dr. Mulders have taken pride in serving the Grand Rapids community with the highest level of dental care, and Dr. Allyson is honored be back in West Michigan doing the same. Together, Dr. Allyson and Dr. Jerry now have 3 separate practices that they share. Two of the offices are general dental practices and the third is a TMD, craniofacial pain & sleep disorders specialty practice.
Dr. Allyson & Dr. Jerry are both passionately committed to continuously learning and have completed extensive advanced post-graduate training throughout the years. In order to provide the excellent standard of care that both Doctors provide, they have made it a priority to take cutting-edge courses in some of the most innovative and challenging areas of dentistry for the benefit of their patients.
Dr. Allyson has completed hundreds of hours of continuing education over the past 6 years, with a heavy focus on cosmetic dentistry as well as Sleep and TMJ centered courses. She has completed several TMJ and Sleep residencies, as well as earning the distinguished recognition of Fellow from the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP). Dr. Allyson & Dr. Jerry are two of the top specialists and most highly educated providers in TMJ and Sleep disorders in the entire state. Dr. Allyson has completed the AACPs Craniofacial Pain Residency; The University of Tennessees mini-residency Craniofacial Pain and Sleep-Breathing Related Disorders, as well as achieved certification for facial injections and Botox from the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE). Dr. Allyson is also active in Spears Education and is an active member in the Grand Rapids Spears Study Club.
When Dr. Allyson is not in the dental office, or off furthering her education, she enjoys traveling, skiing, participating in triathlons, running and spending time with friends and family. Dr. Allysons dog, Oliver, is a Bernedoodle who has been coming to work with her since he was a puppy. Hes the office mascot and the real boss at the office! Hes super friendly and loves belly rubs, so if you see him during your visit dont be shy!