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Xerostomia, "dry mouth" is due to reduced or absent saliva production. It may affect a patient's quality of life and can lead to serious health problems! Learn about the signs, symptoms and managing xerostomia. 

Living with Xerostomia? Tried and true tips from cancer survivor Speech Pathologist, Marcy Maksail, for Saliva Substitutes, Mouth and Gum Health.

On October 5, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the administration of the Gardasil 9 vaccine for women and men between the ages of 28-45 years. Previously the vaccine was indicated for individuals up to the age of 27 years. "Gardasil 9 prevents certain cancers and diseases caused by the nine HPV types covered by the vaccine". Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can cause head and neck cancer in men and women. It is the cause of most oropharyngeal cancers in United States. These cancers and their treatment may lead to trismus (limited mouth opening) and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). 

Difficulty swallowing, dysphagia, may cause the sufferer to feel embarrassment eating and drinking around friends and family. This may lead to lack of participation during holiday celebrations. With some adjustments it is possible to make celebrations inclusive and enjoyable for all. We, at CMR, wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. 

When should you recommend using a jaw motion rehab system like the OraStretch press to prevent trismus after radiation therapy?  Who is most at risk for developing trismus from radiation treatment? We provide research and a decision tree to help you prevent trismus in head & neck cancer patients. 

What is a cleft lip? What is a cleft palate? What causes these openings to occur? What are the risk factors for cleft lip/cleft palate? What are the health implications? Learn more, including diagnosis and treatment options.

Trismus, or restriction to mouth opening, has many implications including difficulty speaking, eating, maintaining oral hygiene, receiving dental procedures and may even affect intubation. Typical measure of mouth opening is 50 mm and highly correlated to body size. An opening of 35mm or less is considered trismus. Trismus is preventable and treatable by engaging in exercise therapy and treatment using jaw motion rehab systems such as the OraStretch® press. 

HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted virus. The best screening for HPV related oral cancer is by a medical or dental professional. However there are signs and symptoms that the individual can monitor. 

This study assesses the negative impact of trismus (restricted mouth opening) on head and neck cancer patients daily life activities. 6-12 months post-treatment trismus was found to impact quality of life with decreased mouth opening, jaw related problems, eating limitations, muscular tension, dry mouth, swallowing and pain as well as anxiety and depression both pre- and post-treatment.

Investigation into long term effects of exercise intervention utilizing jaw mobilizing device on trismus in HNC patients. Concluded that jaw mobilizing devices produce positive outcomes that persist over time. 

The TheraBite's positive effects on maximum interincisal opening and health-related quality of life factors.

We received a really nice testimonial about our service and the OraStretch press from Dave Y. Dave recently switched to the OraStretch press, and says, compared to the TheraBite, he really prefers the OraStretch press because it is smaller and easier to use. He also wrote us to commend our billing staff as being "kind and empathizing with the customer." Thanks Dave!

Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth conditions that occur as a baby is developing in utero. Feeding is a common concern for babies born with clip lip and/or cleft palate. Depending on the severity of the cleft the baby may be able to breastfeed, bottle-feed or feed using specialized bottles.

At the 2016 national ASHA convention, we presented on "Trismus Prevention and Treatment for Head & Neck for Cancer and Radiation Patients." Here we provide a copy of the slides for the presentaion and the handout from the session.

We have posted our first user-controlled webinar presentation about Head and Neck Cancer Rehabilitation Webinar, including information on trismus, xerostomia, the OraStretch press and TheraBite system.

Learn about diagnosing trismus, when to order a jaw motion rehab system for prevention of trismus, how to order, treatment options for xerostomia and more.

Medicare coverage for the Therabite system has changed. It is no longer being billed to Medicare, and patients will have to purchase the device direct.

Need instructions on how to apply, clean, remove, and replace the bitepads on your Therabite device?

Here are instructions on how to best use the ATOS TheraBite pads.

Why Your Oral Surgeon Tells You Not To Use A Straw After Oral Surgery Procedures?

Preparation Advice from the Tooth Fairy for after your wisdom tooth or third molar Extraction. Tips,

Learn more about what is included in the TheraBite jaw motion rehab system, including parts and their purposes.

Does your doctor want to charge you to use EMG, Kinesiography, or Sonography to study or diagnose your TMJ disorder? You might want to get a second opinion.

A new study shows that many electronic diagnostic devices were no better than clinical exams at diagnosing TMJ disorder (TMD).

Should I go to the dentist every 6 months? How often should I go?

You probably don't need to go that often, but high risk adults, should maybe go even more often. How often should you go?

Do You Wash Your Hands after using the Bathroom?

Most of us don't. New studies show that we often do not wash our hands correctly, or AT ALL.

food poising from dirty hands sickens some 24 million people a year. If you're in the hospital for surgery, chemo, radiation, trauma, or to visit the doctor, you often have a weakened immune system and are at heightened risk for infections. Learn more about how often others fail, and how you can better protect yourself.

This is a nutritious breakfast smoothie you can put in your travel mug and enjoy on your commute!  Its got fruit, yogurt, flax, ginseng and almonds.  Yum!

As a surgical nurse for many years a common patient complaint is “constipation,” an extremely common side effect of pain medications.

Hopefully Popeye’s power will do the trick with lots of fiber, and most importantly: great taste!