Aberdeen dentist helping migraine sufferers New technique approved by FDA Posted on Tue, Jul. 01, 2003 By Jera Stone For the millions of headache sufferers in the United States, almost as many supposed remedies are out there. Pharmaceutical companies have developed painkillers targeted at migraines. And then there are the cold compress, the hot compress, the fingers pressed to the temple method or the combination of all. Dr. Gregg Van Beek, an Aberdeen dentist, recently introduced new technology to help local patients suffering from migraines and tension headaches. The Food and Drug Administration-approved technique is the NTI Suppression System. The system works by putting a clear plastic splint, made of fitted cold-cure acrylic, on the patient's two front teeth. "What it does is it keeps people from biting as hard as they'd like while they sleep," Van Beek said. "Migraine headaches are more related to muscle tensions than previously thought." One of the jaw muscles, called lateral pterygoid, moves the jaw sideways and slightly forward. The temporalis muscle, which runs to the temple, closes and clenches the jaw and moves the jaw forward. The NTI splint helps ease the temporalis muscle movement. "The less muscle tension you have in your sleep, the less pain you will have when you wake up," the doctor said. Van Beek said the recent discovery of a muscle from the jaw to the floor of the eye socket also suggests the tension in that muscle could be a cause of migraine pain behind the eye. The NTI system has a success rate of 70 percent, Van Beek said. Van Beek started using the technique on some patients after he heard the inventor of the system, Dr. James P. Boyd, speak at a dentists' seminar in Florida. "I took my staff there for the seminar and I put a splint on one of my staff while we were there," Van Beek said. Since he began using the technique in March at his office, 3015 Sixth Ave. S.E., Van Beek has used the system on 10 patients. "So far no one has brought it back and it comes with a full money-back guarantee," Van Beek said. Van Beek charges $200 for the process and the material. He personally fits the splint for patients and grinds down the excessive plastic with normal dental tools. The procedure takes about half an hour, he said. Van Beek can also make a special version of the splint for daytime use so a patient can talk while wearing it. "You'll need to take it off before you eat because there's no way you can eat with it on." Some patients may need to correct their jaw positions for the splint to work, he said. Van Beek said the splint works best with natural teeth. It won't work on dentures. "You need to have a real root there in order to get the sensation you'll need to have," Van Beek said. The splint will work for children but should be used after they have their permanent teeth, he said. Van Beek said the system is worth a try for people who often have migraines or back neck muscle pains. Dental insurance will often cover the procedure if a patient is diagnosed as being a migraine sufferer, the doctor said.

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