Dr. Poe's Los Angeles Headache Blog

Los Alamitos, California

Friday, February 19, 2010

How Important are x-rays

X-rays are an important tool in helping to find the proper diagnosis. Corrected tomograms can show years of trauma and adaptation of the condyle, as well as its relation to the cranial base. A frontal can compare the lengths of the jaw for symmetry as well as the position of the jaw as it relates to the skull. Another important x-ray is a cephlometric or lateral film. This is basically a profile picture of the jaw and skull. All of these x-rays are taken with and without an orthotic in place to compare the relationship of the jaw and the skull. I will show examples of each film in detail in future posts but for now just realize that x-rays are an important step in diagnosis and treatment.
Until next time,
Dr.Poe

posted by Dr. Poe at 6:41 PM

Friday, February 5, 2010

"Am I Crazy or are my Headaches making me crazy?"

True statement made by a new patient during our first getting to know you meeting. "Am I Crazy or are my headaches making me crazy?" Can pain cause mental illness? I will have to look into that but I do see pain being the cause of irritability, a short fuse, and down right mean.

I try to concentrate on decreasing or eliminating the discomfort and then check your mental state. Its amazing how many of my non-neuromuscular dental colleagues do not treat TMJ/TMD. Their comments are usually something like "Those patients are crazy".
I have found just the opposite, that TMJ/TMD patients, once feeling better are the best patients and become their old selves again. Or at least that is what their family and friends say. And their demeanor in the office is 100% different from their 1st visit.

Constant pain can have a debilitating effect. Just ask someone who is in pain, and if it is you, then I wish you are on your way to reducing or better yet eliminating it.

Until next time,

Dr. Poe

posted by Dr. Poe at 7:16 PM

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