If you hear a clicking in your jaw when you chew, find it difficult to open your mouth and chew, or experience misalignment of your jaw because of an injury, exercise may help. Talk to your dentist about any problems you have with your jaws. If...
Sleep apnea, a pause in breathing, is a common condition that affects millions of people. Symptoms in include snoring, gasping and sleepiness. According to a 2010 survey in "Sleep Medicine," this disorder affects 33 percent of the population....
Of the 12 cranial nerves that exit from the brain through openings in the skull, five serve functions having to do with the mouth. Some of these are sensory nerves, which allow the brain to detect sensation in and around the mouth. Some are motor...
Sensations from the face are carried by the trigeminal nerve, which is the fifth cranial nerve, and ends up in a nucleus extending from the midbrain to the upper reaches of the spinal cord. The two sides of the face are each controlled by its own...
Many conditions can cause jaw bone pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, some types of jaw bone pain can be caused by conditions outside the jaw bone, such as a heart attack. Most...
There are two major nerves in the face: the facial and trigeminal nerves. According to the Face and Emotion website, the facial, or seventh cranial nerve, carries the signals that control the muscles of expression of the face. The trigeminal, or...
The masseter muscle is the major muscle in the jaw and is one of the muscles responsible for opening and closing your mouth. You have one masseter on each side of your jaw and imbalances and tightness between the two sides can contribute to...
The number-one priority when it comes to treating Pierre Robin syndrome is protecting your child's airway. The jaw or the tongue or both can obstruct the airway. If your newborn with Pierre Robin syndrome is having trouble breathing, a nasal...
Saliva plays an important role in your digestive system. It helps break down the food that you eat. Saliva is produced and secreted by three major salivary glands in your mouth. Salivary gland blockages prevent saliva from leaving your salivary...
Stretches for tendon reflexes are also known as deep tendon reflexes, according to the National Institutes of Health. These stretches are performed as part of a neurological examination. The muscle stretch receptors will be stimulated by pressure...
Hypopnea syndrome (Greek for "underbreathing") is a form of sleep apnea disorder in which the sufferer's breathing becomes very shallow but does not cease, as it does with true sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks,...
It is possible to get rid of excess skin and fat around the chin surgically and nonsurgically. Surgery is not an easy endeavor, and most people would like to avoid it when possible. Nonsurgical removal of a double chin is possible in cases in...
There are two ways that nerves exit the central nervous system and become part of the peripheral nervous system--through openings in the vertebrae of the spine or through openings in the skull, or cranium. Twelve cranial nerves conduct signals to...
Molars are the largest teeth in the human mouth. They usually have two or more roots, and the large chewing surfaces make them ideal for chewing food. Normally, a person has 12 molars, but extraction is not unusual for the four third molars, or...
There are many causes of jaw pain. Jaw pain can be caused by physical stress on any of the structures that compose the jaw, including the jaw bone, cartilage, face, jaw and neck muscles, teeth, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves. Trauma is a...
TMJ, or Temporo-Mandibular Joint Disorders, is a class of disorders that affect the jawbone, according to the TMJ Association. They affect jaw movement and the muscles and surrounding tissues of the jaw. TMJ causes several other symptoms that may...
Flaccid dysarthria occurs as a result of damage to the lower cranial nerves involved in speech. Exercises concentrating on improving flexibility and strength of your lips, tongue and jaw will improve speaking capabilities. Since your condition may...
Alveolar bone loss is the withering of the maxillary (upper jaw) and mandibular (jaw) bones that lie beneath the teeth. Your teeth rely on the strength of the alveolar bone to keep them firmly in place. Periodontitis, a disease that strikes the...
Bone grafting is the process of transplanting bone tissue from one region of the patient's body, or from another person called a donor, to repair diseased bones in the patient. A bone graft--bone tissue being transplanted from one region to...
Teeth grinding or a jaw misalignment frequently cause facial pain. You might not realize you grind your teeth until you develop pain. Symptoms associated with teeth grinding include discomfort when chewing or biting, headaches and muscle soreness....
Temporomandibular joint disorders, or TMJ disorders, involve a dysfunction of the chewing muscles and the joints that move the jaws and open and close the mouth. TMJ disorders are notorious for causing pain and clicking or popping noises in the...
Royal jelly is a milky-white viscous substance secreted from the hypo pharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker bees. It is eaten by bee larvae for the first two to three days during their maturation. The queen bee eats royal jelly exclusively...
Incorrect posture places stress on your joints, muscles, bones, nerves and tendons. It forces your body's muscular system to adapt to improper alignment. Correcting your posture requires effort, practice and different exercises that help your body...
Broken jaws commonly occur as the result of a physical assault or as the consequence of a sports, industrial or automobile accident. A broken jaw requires immediate medical attention by a trained professional; however, knowing how to care for a...
A 2005 poll in the journal "Chest" indicates that 26% of the population proves at risk for sleep-disordered breathing. The most common type of difficulty is called "obstructive sleep apnea." An apnea is a brief cessation of breathing which often...
Massage therapy comes in various forms and each has its own purpose. The Spa Finder massage locator website explains that Swedish massage is used primarily for relaxation, while deep-tissue massage releases tension, and acupressure manipulates...
An apnea is a momentary pause in breathing. Such pauses occur rarely during healthy sleep, but they can occur often in disturbed sleep. When apnea causes sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness, it's considered a sleep disorder requiring...
There are a few natural ways to treat mild sleep apnea. Losing weight is known to help improve nighttime breathing for those with obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of the disorder. A weight reduction of as little as 10 percent can have...
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, locks up from excess stress, trauma to the head or even a lot of dental work. Yoga poses can help release the painful TMJ symptoms. Certain yoga positions are more beneficial than others, but do not make the...
TMJ, or TMJD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, occurs as inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. Learn more about TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, including symptoms and treatments, in this health video.
