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Proprioception
Stress is considered a significant risk in all disease including heart disease. Hans Selye has called Dental Distress Syndrome the worst stressor known to mankind. It is a hidden stressor and is estimated to affect over 75% of our population.
A Harvard study published in 1986 studied the morbidity of 33,000 doctors. Like other Americans, the number one cause of death for the doctors studied was heart disease — number two was cancer. But as a big surprise, the highest risk factors were not cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, or obesity. The highest risk factor for these 33,000 doctors was the loss teeth. The loss of 10 or more teeth resulted in a 67% increase in heart attack and stroke. The loss of teeth resulted in a type of stress called faulty dental proprioception, which cannot be treated by currently known stress reduction techniques. For answers on how faulty dental proprioception occurs, we can look at embryology. At conception, an egg and sperm unite to form the ovum, which at 3 weeks begins an ectodermal thickening that separates, forming the neural tube and the neural crest. The neural tube forms the central nervous system, including the brain, the spinal cord, thalamus, hypothalamus, midnose, upper lip, premaxilla, part of the forebrain, half of the master pituitary gland, and the four maxillary central incisors. The neural crest forms the peripheral nervous system, all the sensory receptors, the other half of the pituitary gland, all other hormonal glands, and all the rest of the dental system, except for the enamel of the teeth. The neural crest cell functions are to gather sensory information for the central nervous system (CNS) and the body through proprioception and kinesthesia. The brain functions like any computer i.e., “garbage in — garbage out.” Faulty inbound information equals faulty outbound instructions. And, as the Harvard study shows, when teeth are lost, faulty proprioception occurs resulting in faulty information to the brain. Dental structures are neurological tissue and a dentist should be a Neurologist of the highest order, but the dentist has not been trained in this delicate neurological balance between the mouth and its effect on the rest of the body.
Proprioception is defined as receiving stimulations within the body’s tissue to activate protective mechanisms. Much is known about proprioception in the feet and elsewhere, but it is generally ignored in the mouth. In reality, proprioception is more delicate between the upper and lower front teeth than at any other point in the body. Dental proprioception is the main signal to the thalamus, which in turn controls the cerebellum and posture, as well as to the hypothalamus, which controls the stress mechanism. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The cerebellum requires proper information from the 5th cranial nerve (Mandibular Nerve) to proceed with body postural changes. Thus even small changes in the dental proprioception easily reflects into the neck, shoulders, arms, lower back, legs, and feet. Penfield and Rasmussen state that almost half of the sensory and motor aspects of the brain are devoted to the “dental area.” The relationship of the mandible to the maxilla and the occlusion affects over 50% of the body’s functions, including motor and sensory controls, blood supply to the brain, and low level electrical feedback to the brain. According to Price-Pottenger studies, the mandibular/maxillary relationship in populations consuming mainly refined food diets is altered from birth, causing underdevelopment of the premaxilla. This faulty relationship causes the 68 pairs of muscles that regulate the mandibular position to fire in response to proprioceptive feedback. For proper proprioception, these 136 muscles must function at their endowed contracting and relaxing lengths and be in reciprocal balance. When they are not in reciprocal balance and become tight, faulty proprioceptive feedback to the brain is perpetuated. When these muscles are not in a state of homeostasis, dental distress syndrome is perpetuated, reducing blood flow to the brain and pituitary gland.
It is believed that this structural problem exists in most diseases. A Japanese study of more than 25,000 subjects showed that loss of posterior vertical dimension had a 75% relationship to over 100 medical parameters. This paper shows how faulty proprioceptive feedback to the brain from the dental area can affect all functions of the body. Miracle Bite Tabs (MBT), developed for use by both professionals and lay people, can temporarily relieve faulty proprioceptive feedback to the brain. MBT are self-made splints that fit over the lower back teeth. They are economical and can be made quickly and easily in any kitchen, without any special tools. For more information about Miracle Bite Tabs, you can contact GoJo Enterprises at gojo@pobox.com. Elimination of faulty dental proprioception with the correct splint and using the right low level lasers in the right order and in the right body location can greatly enhance the well-being of humankind and should be considered as a first line of treatment for any complaint.