Seasons  Greetings!

This past year has gone by so quickly.  My daughters are counting down the days until Christmas.  These are the good years and my husband and I are enjoying every day with them.

I have continued taking courses in neuromuscular dentistry, TMJ (temporamandibular joint) disorders, treating headaches, migraines and facial pain.  I have also completed courses in orthodontics, snoring and sleep apnea. They adhere to the same philosophy of trying to achieve the optimal jaw position.

Many Canadian adults and children suffer from sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea increases the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.  Snoring and sleep apnea can be treated with oral appliances.  By wearing an appliance while sleeping, the jaw is held in a downward and forward position.   This prevents the tongue from falling back and obstructing the throat and the airway.  Dental appliances may be a good alternative to the CPAP machine, which forces air down the nose.  Oral appliances are more comfortable than the CPAP machine.  Our practice now has a Medibyte portable PSG (polysomnograph) machine available for patient use.  Our Medibyte machine is similar to the ones used at hospital sleep clinics;  but you can use it in the comfort of your own bed.  This is an excellent screening tool to assess snoring and sleep apnea.

Early orthodontic treatment in children follows the same philosophy of optimizing the jaw position.   It is important to encourage proper growth and development of jaws in the child.  Proper jaw development is necessary to ensure healthy TMJs and good airways.  By doing early interceptive orthodontics, many crowding and other orthodontic problems can be avoided or minimized.

I encourage you to visit my website, www.drpamelali.com.  I have made changes and updates to it this fall.  I welcome any comments about my website or my practice.

The office will be closed from Dec. 22, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010 inclusive.  I wish you and your family a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

Pamela Li