THE JAWS AND BEDWETTING

In my last post I mentioned a very interesting book by Dr. David C. Page called YOUR Jaws YOUR Life. We have spoken many times about the relationship of jaw position to our upper airway and its relationship to sleep disordered breathing. Dr. Page also devotes at least a chapter of his book to this topic. Another interesting fact is the relationship of jaw position to bed-wetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis. The cause of this remains somewhat of a mystery for modern medicine. He states that "normal bladder control should occur by age 3-4. It is considered medically abnormal when a child over age 5 chronically wets the bed. From 15 to 20% of all 5 year-olds and 10% of all 6-10 year-olds chronically wet the bed. ...." Bed-wetting can be very devastating psychologically. It is embarrassing, upsetting, humiliating, for the child and for family members. In spite of this it has been given very low priority by the medical community. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? "Current medical treatment approaches ... include drugs, bed-is-wet alarms, psychotherapy, electro-physiology, and surgery." The alarm seems to be the most effective method to the date of his writing the book. "Drugs ... may be the least effective." Because the true cause of bed-wetting is not fully known, it is difficult to arrive at an effective targeted treatment. Interestingly dental treatment can be effective in reducing or stopping chronic bed-wetting. HOW CAN DENTISTRY IMPROVE OR STOP BED-WETTING? In the 1990's it was found that children who had palatal expansion performed by dentists and orthodontists using palatal expansion appliances showed great improvement in the condition. It seems that research shows a lack of oxygen due to obstruction of the upper airway can lead to bed-wetting. Reversing the airway blockage with oral devices turns the children from mouth-breathers to nose breathers. Tonsil removal also opens airways and improves bed-wetting. Study results showed that dental treatment of this sort to be about 80% effective in reducing or stopping bed-wetting within a few months. It seems that the earlier this treatment starts, the more effective it can be. There are so many ways that a healthy properly formed oral space can have a positive impact on the well-being of the body. It is my mission to help people understand these connections and work together to improve their health and vitality. Yours for Beautiful Smiles and More Health, Dr. Marty Frankel, 3030-3080 Yonge St., Toronto Ontario, M4N 3N1, 416-770-8526