Many patients ask me why I’m focusing on the big picture of health rather than doing general dentistry. It’s a great question, and the answer isn’t because I don’t like general dentistry. And it’s not that teeth don’t need to be fixed, they do – especially because the mouth is the gateway to our health. The answer is that I enjoy it. I love focusing my energy and knowledge on helping patients with their overall health.
You may be curious about the why and the how…WHY does this interest me and HOW do I approach it.
The short answer to the WHY is that 20+ years ago I began to study why teeth became crowded. It took me down a path of learning about nasal breathing and the impact of breathing, the tongue, and oral habits on the development of the face and teeth as well as the prevention or development of chronic disease. Once the door was opened, I was curious about HOW I could make a difference for my patients. I devoured the information available and one of the discoveries was the ALF appliance, a small, lightweight appliance that I have been using for decades.
The ALF appliance, designed magnificently by Dr. Darick Nordstrom with osteopathic guiding principles, works with the body to facilitate motion, leading to growth and healing. The ALF works in concert with, not against, the body. It doesn’t overwhelm with strong force, and instead, uses continuous, light, gentle input that encourages motion in the skull to naturally stimulate jaw growth, develop adequate airway space, and provide cranial motion.
The situations are varied where I might employ the ALF approach. Some examples are:
- Growth and development
- Snoring and sleep apnea
- TMJ pain, clicking, popping
- ·Head and neck pain
What makes the ALF work?
To encourage growth and healing, appliances should mimic the forces in normal growth and development. The ALF generates gentle constant forces and transmits that force through the teeth to the underlying bone. The ALF encourages the tongue to sit in the roof of the mouth to stimulate upper jaw development, while promoting lip seal and nasal breathing.
Why is tongue on the roof of the mouth so important?
The presence of the tongue on the palate leads to:
- Expansion – the ALF orthopedically widens the upper jaw and creates more space for the eruption of the permanent teeth. The equal forces of the tongue, in concert with the ALF, create development of the roof of the mouth, floor of the nose and the airway.
- Cranial motion – this is an osteopathic term that refers to the gentle movement of the bones of the skull like the TMJ area. With cranial motion we see movement of cerebrospinal fluid, toxin removal from brain, pumping the pituitary gland and draining of the eustachian tubes.
- Neurointegration – we all have natural reflexes that appear and integrate. Sometimes with trauma, injury, or difficult birth, we may find a reflex has not integrated. The swallowing reflex is frequently not fully integrated, and the ALF provides neurological input to aid an appropriately integrated swallow.
Energy and the ALF
Our energy has to go to life sustaining activity, things like breathing and sleep. If there is extra energy, it will go to repair injury, and only after that, will enough energy be available for growth and development.
Many of us have experienced challenges to our systems that drain energy, leaving very little left for repair and growth, and this impacts our ability to be healthy. Instead of fighting against the body, the ALF supports and encourages the body to heal and grow. The ALF
appliance, in conjunction with other therapies like osteopathic care, myofunctional therapy, and laser therapy, is one of the main tools in my toolbox to support wellness in my patients.
About the author
Dr. Allison M. Adams, recognized as one of the Top Dentists in New Jersey for the past 13 years by New Jersey Monthly Magazine, was born and raised in Madison, New Jersey, and is proud to deliver comprehensive dental care to her friends and neighbors. She completed her undergraduate studies in 1985 at the College of St. Elizabeth and went on to study dentistry at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, graduating in 1991. Over the past 25 years, she has traveled the country and spent thousands of hours attending continuing education courses in order to stay current with advances in the field. She has completed comprehensive post-graduate studies in orthodontics and implantology.