Cosmetic Dentistry Articles from
Chesterton Cosmetic Dentist Dr. James Arnold

NTI is FDA Approved for Migraine Prevention
The Times

Question: “Dr. Arnold, I read online recently about a dental appliance that helps prevent migraines. How does this work?”

Answer: A relatively new device called the NTI is the only FDA approved non-drug, non-surgical method of migraine prevention. It has been shown in clinical studies to significantly decrease the frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches for 82% of migraine sufferers. It takes about twenty minutes to make in the dental office and typically costs between $600 and $800.

Many stress, tension, and migraine headaches are the result of bruxism (nighttime grinding of teeth) and/or daytime clenching. The NTI is a small device that fits over the front teeth, is very comfortable for most patients, and significantly decreases the intensity of muscle contraction. This decreased muscular activity often “breaks the cycle” and relieves the pain from sore jaw muscles, headaches, and TMJ problems.

Approximately forty million Americans suffer from debilitating migraine headaches, which leads to a tremendous loss of business productivity each year. Many patients seek out the expertise of family practitioners, internists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and physical therapists. They are often successful in decreasing the severity of migraines, but not always.

A common approach to treating migraines is the use of certain drugs. Unfortunately, some patients experience adverse side effects and receive little to no benefit from them. Additionally, some of these drugs are very expensive and need to be used long-term.

My dental team has helped dozens of migraine sufferers decrease or eliminate the misery that they have experienced for years with an NTI appliance. Many people would do just about anything to prevent the misery of migraines and improve their quality of life. Thousands of Americans now wake up in the morning feeling fantastic thanks to this simple, effective device.

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