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I was recently contacted by a friend of mine, who's Mom was suffering from severe dry mouth as a result of chemo and radiation therapy. She had tried all the usual remedies and could find nothing that gave her true relief for more then a few moments.  But I had something for her to try...

As a patient with Lupus and Sjogren's syndrome, I am always looking for a relief to some of the symptoms.  I recently went for my routine 6 month check up with my rheumatologist.

Dry Mouth is a major issue for me, so when visiting my doctor I mentioned it to him, and he gave me a prescription for Salagen (pilocarpine) 5 mg. Normal dosing is one 10 mg. pill 3 times-a-day.

ml., cc., oz.,lb., gm.,qt.,pt.,C., Tbsp., or a pinch?  All are symbols, weights and measurements we use to cook and combined ingredients.  When I was a kid we measured in pounds (lb) ounces (oz) and cups (C).  With our changing globalized society we are now seeing more and adapting to the international, or metric measuring system.

This smoothy is always a big hit for a breakfast on the go, with a whole frozen banana and wheat germ to help jump start your day!

Soup anyone?  :)  My favorite any time of year! The more adventuresome the better. This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Living Magazine Aug. 2011. It is a really easy chop and blend recipe with no cooking required. So full of goodness and flavor...  click ahead for full recipe.

Internal derangement is a Temporomandibular Joint disorder which manifests it's self in the abnormal position of the TMJ disk. It is 3-5 times more common in women, then men. You can find the details of this interesting Essay by The Boston University School of Medicine, on Medscape Nurse News.

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After his surgery, Graham created an awesome list of Recovery Tips on his blog, including both pre-surgery to-do's and after the surgery advice. 

A new double-blind study at University of Groningen showed no increased effectiveness of Dexamethasone to improve TMJ arthrocentesis.

When it comes to visiting our Doctors and Emergency Rooms some patients overly down-play their symptoms.  Rod Moser, PA, PhD has a great piece on WebMD on how to be more accurate and precise when explaining our symptoms for an improved diagnosis and treatment.

Your surgery should be as important to your Surgeon as it is to you!  Plastic surgeon Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez has some great recommendations for discussing recovery and preparing for the surgery on his blog.  Read more to see some of his insights. 

Over their lifetime, over three quarters of people can have TMJ problems, but only 5-10% actually need therapy.  These and other interesting facts on TMJ disorder are reviewed in a great overview article in the NY Times by Jane Brody.

Hannah, the spunky central character in the edgy new HBO series “Girls,” is a creative and endearingly naive 24-year-old bumbling fearlessly through post-college life. 

A new study shows that the HPV vaccine may reduce the risk of HPV-related disease.

Preliminary Results Released from Seven Year Study on TMJ disorder (TMJD) by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The study, Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA), collected excellent data on the risks for TMJD.

A new study estimates that oral and throat cancers have increased by 325% from 1998 to 2004, even as smoking has decreased. 

Doctors connect the increase to HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, and which a new vaccine has stirred controversy.

“It’s very clear that this is becoming a major epidemic,” said Dr. Kevin J. Cullen.

Tips for cleaning and refreshing the XEROS sponge mouthpieces.  Useful for cleaning after wearing the mouthpieces all night, or to restart using them again after a break. 

Tips to clean the XEROS Dry Mouth Pump bottle and tubing.

Tips for keeping the OraStretch press and Therabite system clean.

Today, Marth Rose Shulman at the New York Times posted a great recipes for a delicious Berry and Rose Geranium smoothie with the ripe, fresh berries in the stores right now.  Normally, this smoothie is made with frozen bananas, but here its made with dairy.   Yummy delicious! 
Details and links in the full post.

Launch of the XEROS Dry Mouth Pump. This new product alleviates the debilitation from severe chronic dry mouth. Chronic dry mouth is often a side-effect from radiation therapy to the head, neck, mouth, tongue, jaw, and nose.

The XEROS Dry Mouth Pump provides continual hydration throughout the day and night by providing small amounts of liquid to the mouth via a controllable pump for improved hydration, function and health.

Here is a great blog on a going through the process of a bi-maxillary osteotomy, including a Le Fort I Maxillary Osteotomy and a Sagittal Split Mandibular Osteotomy. http://realityalwaysbites.wordpress.com/

Click to the full post for some suggestions on what to bring to the hospital with you.

The CRAC 5-5-30 is an aggressive stretching protocol for the jaw to help overcome trismus with a TheraBite or OraStretch® press.  It updates the standard 5-5-30 or 7-7-7 protocol by incorporating a PNF CRAC (Contract-Relax with Antagonist Contract) stretching session.

PNF is a very powerful stretching technique, originally used by Eastern European gymnasts.  It utilizes both stretching and mobilizing the surrounding muscles to improve the strength and flexibility of the tight joint.  PNF stretching is reviewed by James Scifers in the article "The Truth about PNF Techniques" in Advance magazine. 

The details on how brushing can helps prevent cardiovascular disease. 

What is the average opening of the mouth and jaw? In an adult? A man? A woman? A child?