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Articles written for the Ideal Health, Argus Leader
Article 1
Attention headache sufferers
What you can do to elliminate your headache, migrane and facial pain once and for all!
My name is Dr. John Wightman and I am located right here in
The report was written to give the real truth insights that most people have no clue about, and to tell you that if you are a candidate for headache treatment, we have a 95% chance of eliminating your headache almost immediately.
But first let me tell you about one of my patients…
When Marie walked into the door, I knew immediately that she was a chronic headache and migraine sufferer. The pain was evident in her eyes and one could just tell that it was another one of those hellish days where the only thing she was wishing for was “relief” of any kind.
She figured out quickly that she didn’t want to live a life on medication, and she wasn’t going to get anything different from her family doctor. So, she tried going to a chiropractor, taking nutritional supplements, meditation and everything else she could think of. After so many attempts, she felt very helpless and very alone.
Her husband, Bob, told me that there were days where her jaw would lock up and she would pry it open with pens or silverware. The fear of embarrassment of this happening in public prevented them from going out to dinner with friends many times.
Now I hear these kinds of stories all the time. It’s sad, very sad, because most people do not know all their options to their pain and what is actually available to them. Fortunately, Marie came in when she did and in just a few short visits… her headaches were gone!
While Marie’s circumstance is very chronic and debilitating, chronic migraine, headache and facial pain can range from being occasionally distracting to totally debilitating. Those whose symptoms are mild and infrequent may not even question the source. Others who’ve lived with the ongoing battle may wonder if they’ll ever find long-term relief.
One of the most common causes of headaches that do NOT originate in the head is called a TMJ headache. For a larger number of patients with facial pain and headaches, the problem and its solution revolve around one of the most complex joints in the body –the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJoint). The condition is referred to as Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome, or TMJ. It is not a disease, it is a simultaneous occurrence of a number of problems associated with the jawbone, nerves and chewing muscles.
For decades, medicine and dentistry have overlooked the Temporomandibular Joint as a potential source of problems. With today’s new technologies and increased understanding, dentists with specific, advanced training in TMJ disorders can diagnose and successfully treat the large majority of these cases: in fact, if a TMJ disorder is determined, predictable long-term relief is achievable 95% of the time – via a wide range of dental treatments.
You may have “TMJ Syndrome” if you answer yes to any of these seven questions….
1. Do you ever have clicking or popping of the jaw joint (TMJ)?
2. Do you ever hear grinding sounds?
3. Do you ever have headaches and migraines?
4. Do you ever experience dizziness?
5. Do you ever have ringing in the ears and/or earaches?
6. Do you ever feel sever pain all over your head, jaw pain and/or facial pain?
7. Do you ever have pain in your neck?
There is an amazing type of drugless, non-surgical care that may help you. You might be asking yourself what this amazing treatment is. Well, studies have shown that one of the safest, fastest ways to treat TMJ is with anxiety free and pain free dental care!
That’s right! What used to be considered “just a treatment for cavities and a way to get a whiter smile” has been proven to be very effective in the treatment of TMJ Syndrome, which may be causing your headaches.
To see if you are suffering from a “TMJ Headache”simply call our office and, as a community service, we will be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation headache evaluation.
Call 362-1000 today! Further information and free reports are available on my website www.westdent.com.
Article 2
The Perfect Smile,
No Dentist Needed!
Have you ever dreamed or wondered what a perfect, bright, healthy smile would do to change the appearance and attractiveness of your face? Now, through the miracle of digital photography and new technology, you can see for yourself ! If you have a good photo of your full face and smile at present that we can scan digitally or have someone at our office snap a digital image, you can have perfect smile "after" photos in less than a week courtesy of computerized digital dentistry.
In our office, we use this tool to plan future smile makeovers without guesswork for predictable and satisfying results. Our clients often use these pictures to gain the support of family or friends who can encourage them to reclaim an attractive, healthy smile.
Dorothy had always been unhappy with her overlapped, crooked front teeth. Orthodontic treatment as a teenager wasn't available to her. She wanted a new, attractive look for her smile, but was unable to envision it's positive effect on her appearance. Because of this, she was unable to decide if the investment and time needed to "make-over" her smile was right for her.
We suggested the virtual makeover photo procedure. Within a week,she had the beautiful results in her hands to admire and share. Her dream smile had come true for her in these pictures! Eventually, those pictures were used as models for her dentist and his laboratory to bring her new smile into reality, just as she had dreamed. The minimal cost of the photos and simulation was even refunded to her by the dental laboratory because it saved them so much time in completing her "smile makeover miracle". Now, in a new job, she smiles all the time!Will this help YOU to envision your dream smile? Call us today and ask for a free cosmetic smile consultation. We would love to see YOUR dreams come true.
Article 3
Is your smile suffering?
Your smile has an effect on relationships, personally and professionally
Did you know that the quality of your smile has a more direct affect on your business (not to mention your personal) relationships than any other part of your appearance?
In fact, 88% of all people in
Perhaps that’s why more than half the adults in
Your smile can make or break you!
For hundreds of years, all the way from Mona Lisa to today’s cover girls, a dazzling smile has always carried great significance. It is a reliable indication of a person’s sense of well-being and has an enormous impact on a person’s health, self-esteem and both personal and business relationships. In short, a beautiful smile makes people more attracted to you. Most disposed to like you, more eager to do business with you and more eager to help your with any kind of favor you need. So, if a smile is so important why don’t more people smile? And why don’t they smile more often? The answer is simple: They are ashamed and embarrassed by their teeth or their dentures.
Are you a denture sufferer?
There are many reasons people don’t like the appearance of their teeth or dentures; many people are still using old and ill-fitting dentures that pop up, fly up or get stuck while they are eating or just smiling; some people have teeth too small or crooked. Others have teeth that are gapped or overlapped. The teeth suffer from stains and discoloration. Some people wear partial or full mouth dentures that don’t fit correctly. Some are chipped, broken and worn down. Some people have teeth which are twisted and misled. And almost everyone wishes their teeth would fit better, be whiter and look more attractive!
That’s the bad news. The good news is every single one of these problems can now be corrected in as little as two visits at our office.
If you’re tired of suffering from those ill fitting, uncomfortable dentures please call us today at 605-362-1000 to schedule your FREE million dollar smile makeover consultation. For additional information, call toll free 1-866-270-9754 and ask for free report #2002.
The Breath of life
Get a free apnea/snoring appliance evaluation
Apnea is a scary word. It means without breath. It is a term used to indicate when someone stops breathing. There are some deaths that can result from apnea, when we cease to breathe. Sleep apnea, when someone stops breathing in their sleep, is a condition that affects thousands of people, mostly men.
Signs of this are very familiar to those family members who try to sleep nearby. Loud snoring that stops only when the victim stops breathing temporarily, sometimes hundreds of times a night. This apnea and recovery interferes radically with the victim’s sleep hygiene in dangerous daytime sleepiness that can increase vehicle accidents and other embarrassments of falling asleep at unpredictable moments.
Approximately 50% of people (mostly men) snore at some time. Five percent of these will stop breathing periodically and starve their hearts and brains of oxygen. Treatment usually begins with a proper diagnosis by a physician who can run tests to determine the extent of the problem. This may include a sleep study at a hospital or the wearing of monitoring equipment while sleeping at home.
Historically, treatment approaches involved surgery to advance the lower jaw and/or cut away throat tissues to open up the space there to create less resistance to breathing. Within the last decade, advances have been made in breathing machines (CPAPS) that can blow air up the nose and through the mouth, creating air pressure that inflates the throat tissues to allow freer breathing. These machines, while effective, are sometimes not well tolerated by the patient and are not always easily portable.
When needed in these cases, a carefully constructed removable dental appliance can be used to gently advance the lower jaw to eliminate apnea and snoring. It is comfortable to wear and very portable for taking trips or vacations. This also makes them very popular with breathing machine users who would like some occasional freedom from their machine hoses. Often, these appliances are prescribed just to remove snoring problems even when apnea is not present, thereby saving many friendships and even marriages.
If sleep apnea or snoring is a challenge for you or someone you know, please call us at
smile years younger
Dental work doesn't have to reflect age
Well, here I am at age 62. Where did the time go? My age, however, has peaked my interest in dental challenges of folks of my maturity and older. Year after year many things change in our lives. Our teeth change as time goes on too but there are ways to help them stay as youthful as your spirit.
The following are seven things you should know about teeth and smiles that have accumulated a lot of birthdays.
1. The large, old silver/mercury fillings that have served your teeth for many, many years need to be watched. They are often implicated in tooth fracture and breakage or allow cavities to invade at their edges from the continual expansion and contraction (like a mercury thermometer) when rapidly heated or cooled by food or drink. Repair or replace them with better materials if they are defective or broken.
2. Missing back teeth is not a good thing because they increase the stress on the remaining teeth. They do not, however, always need to be replaced if the other teeth are stable.
3. Bleeding gums and/or loose teeth are not good for your heart health or overall resistance to disease. They need to be cleaned, stabilized and treated as soon as possible.
4. You are never too old to have a healthy, attractive and bright smile. It will lighten your world, get you better service and more respect.
5. Fluoride tooth hardeners are not just for younger people. They will prevent aging tooth root cavities and promote healthy gums. Ask for them.
6. We are all living much longer than we expected and are going to need our teeth much longer than we ever have before. Your teeth are the one thing YOU CAN take with you. Don't leave them behind.
7. If you are going to win this game of keeping your teeth strong, healthy and attractive, you need a coach. You need someone who will encourage you and look after you on a regular basis.
So, that brings us to the challenge of selecting a dental health coach. Here are ten questions to ask before choosing a dentist.
1. In what areas do you have special interest and/or experience?
2. Do you only take x-rays when necessary?
3. Will you give me your recommendations in writing?
4. Can you furnish me with references?
5. Do you have payment plans available?
6. Will you guarantee my satisfaction?
7. Do you have criteria for determining how many visits I need?
8. Do you take photos when necessary to get the best results?
9. Will you show me ways to prevent the problems you are treating?
10. Do you offer free consultations (or low cost new patient exams) to remove barriers for those seeking your care?
Your smile doesn’t have to age over time. Keep your teeth shining and your smile unforgettable with these simple tips and suggestions. For more information on how to keep your smile impressive for years to come, visit www.westdent.com.
Article 6
Listen up, ladies...
Women compared to men for oral health
When it comes to good oral health, we men could stand a better grade. According to a survey just reported by the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), 73% of dentists reported that women scheduled more routine check-ups and cleanings. Furthermore, the dentists estimate that about three times as many men than women eventually require more than routine dental treatment.
The recent demand for cosmetic dentistry, including whitening treatments, has also captured the attention of women much more than men. Seventy-two percent of the dentists say that their female patients are more likely to request such procedures. Also, 57% of the dentists felt that women are more likely to comply with their professional recommendations than men.
Dr. Rene Bousquet, MDS President, summarized that “although disease processes affect both men and women equally, the impact is more moderate in women due to their positive response to dental needs and treatment. However, I do find that men are increasingly becoming more aware and interested in esthetics and cosmetic dentistry today.”
Left to speculation on this, one wonders if this new behavior is us men might well be encouraged or stimulated by the women in our lives. We rugged individualists may well be fortunately conditioned to following the suggestions and recommendations of our mothers, wives and other significant women in our lives.
Certainly, the attention to details of appearance, hair, skin, fingernails, eyes, wearing apparel and accessories so typical of the feminine mystique incorporates the smile and its appearance of health and well being and naturally extends to those details in the men they care for and associate with regularly. Attention to details of health maintenance may also well explain why women often enjoy longer, healthier lives than men.
I believe that women may well be more aware of the fact that one doesn’t get a second chance at a first impression. A pleasant, attractive smile and appearance will get you better service from the restaurant all the way to the airline ticket counter.
It has been my experience that women also commonly experience the “nightmares” indigenous to dentists, hygienists and others in our profession. You know, the one in which you look in the mirror one morning and several teeth are missing, leaving you looking old and disfigured, and you can’t remember how it happened.
So, listen up ladies, keep up the good work and continue to seek and enjoy your own attractive smiles and health. And, incidentally, don’t let us rugged, tough guys, if you care about us, wander around until pain or fear causes us to lose our chance to return your smiles. Keep on us to take care of ourselves. We need your good sense and caring love.
Send us in to
Pass the peanuts
Is your balance and adaptation of your dentures wrong for you?
Betty was a very patient and gentle person. Lately, however, her good humor was running short. She was having difficult and embarrassing moments with her lower denture. It would pop loose and rise up at the middle of conversations, often causing the top denture to drop as well.
She had only been working with these dentures for 10 years and she had them re-lined last year, but they never quite fit or worked right and she'd been giving up chewing many foods she loved.
Betty was almost in tears with frustration and felt there was no one who could help her when she found us. We were quickly able to determine that the balance and adaptation of the dentures were all wrong for her, causing her teeth to wear down and her jaw bone ridges to shrink and recede.
We immediately did an emergency adjustment and treatment padding of her lower teeth to give her comfort. We then explained our E-DENT procedure for making her a new balanced denture. She had suffered for many years and did not mind if the custom measuring impressions and try-ins would require five appointments.
³Perfection takes time,² she said. ³I¹ve had the fast techniques and I¹m not happy.² Five precise appointments later and she was smiling and bragging about her new teeth. ³I can even eat peanuts now, something I was never able to do before.² Is the E-DENT technique the right answer for you? If you hear from Betty, she¹ll be very convincing. We would be pleased to listen to your denture problems, get you comfortable and explain the E-DENT denture technique to you. Five gentle appointments later you could be smiling and asking Betty to ³pass the peanuts².
Call us for your free denture consultation today at the Sioux Falls office of Dr. John Wightman, 605-362-1000.
A comfort adjustment, stain removal and polishing will be given for free to the first 18 calls. Don¹t wait!