Dr. Mary Cresseveur-Reed’s general dentistry practice is only one in area licensed for TruDenta® procedure.
COOPERSBURG, PA – January 10, 2017 – Since starting her business in 1999, Dr. Mary Cresseveur-Reed, DDS, FAGD, has encountered many patients at her practice suffering from pain in their face, neck and jaw, as well as chronic headaches and migraines. A migraine sufferer herself, she wanted to find a way to help herself and her patients that didn’t involve surgery or medicine.
“I was introduced to a new procedure called TruDenta at an industry conference I attended, and, after experiencing the treatments and seeing benefit, I knew I had to bring it to my own general dentistry practice in Coopersburg,” said Cresseveur-Reed. So in June she began taking courses in TruDenta and today her practice is the only general dentistry practice in the Lehigh Valley to be certified for it.
“I wanted a treatment that didn’t require medication, and this one is more like physical therapy. The goal is to lessen the number of headaches and/or pain while reducing their duration and intensity. It is ideal for dentists and hygienists to administer because they are already knowledgeable about the jaw, head and mouth areas.”
TruDenta employs many techniques that have been used in sports medicine for several years and applies them to dentomandibular sensorimotor dysfunction, a complex condition involving the muscles of the head, neck and jaw. It is designed to help patients dealing with pain related to temporomandibular joint pain, chronic headaches and migraines, vertigo, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The procedure does not use drugs or needles.
Melissa Lincoln, RDH, DMRT, PHDH, administers the procedure in the Coopersburg office. She is one of just six clinical instructors for TruDenta in the country. The first visit is a general overview to determine the problem and to create a plan for treatment. Lincoln, who was in a car accident a few years ago that left her with chronic pain, said she found her calling in learning and performing the TruDenta procedure for her patients. She too has received benefit from the treatments in helping to minimize and manage her own traumatic pains that developed after the accident.
“One of the most important things I want to convey to a patient is that I believe them and their pain,” explained Lincoln. “Too often they have seen doctors who can’t find a cause for their pain and can lead the patient to think it’s all in their head. But I know it isn’t and that this pain is negatively impacting their quality of life. We want them to know we care and want to help eliminate their pain.”
She starts by having the patient complete a health history form which details their medical history including accidents or trauma which might have triggered the pain; location of pain; sleeping habits; and how long they have had the pain.
Next the patient’s bite force distribution and pressure will be tested on a T-scan device hooked up to a computer and will be rated on a scale of 1-3. It will determine if the patient is biting down equally on all teeth over the series of three successive tests. Then a range of motion test will be performed, tilting the head back and forth and side to side.
An ultra sound is used to bring blood flow to the problem area with ultrasonic waves, and a special MSM lotion is applied to painful muscles as a topical anti-inflammatory followed by a trigger point manipulation massage of the head, neck and shoulders. A cold laser that promotes healing of chronic inflammation in muscle and joint tissue is also used.
Depending on the severity of the problem, patients will attend eight to ten weekly 50-minute sessions. Some patients will be fit with a mouth orthotic to help reset their jaw’s natural alignment. Patients are also given a series of exercises and stretches to do as part of a daily one-hour self-treatment home regimen using products provided by the dentist including a TruDenta M microcurrent devices that uses electrical stimulation to further assist with pain relief.
“Nearly half of the progress the patient will see in pain relief comes from the home maintenance and exercises,” explains Lincoln. “We also do our best to keep a flexible schedule for our patients since we know most of them work during the day and can only get here on nights and weekends.”
For more information on Dr. Cresseveur-Reed’s general dentistry practice in Coopersburg, visit http://www.marycresseveurreeddds.com. For additional information on TruDenta, visit http://www.trudenta.com.
Information Provided By:
Tracey Werner, Blabbermouth Communications
tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com
