Bengals Punter Kevin Huber Suffers Jaw Fracture During Game

Courtesy of  Jeffrey Beall  from Wikipedia This past weekend, Cincinnati Bengals punter Mark Huber suffered a  broken jaw  when he was viciously knocked to the ground by Steelers Terence Gavin who lead the tackle with his helmet. [ link ] Given bleeding from the mouth, there is the possibility of an open fracture extending into the mouth, though it could also be from a self-inflected bite when Huber got hit. Unlike most  facial fractures  that do NOT require any surgical intervention,…

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Actor Zac Efron Broke His Jaw

Image by Liam Mendes from Wikipedia This past weekend, actor Zac Efron slipped in a puddle of water outside his home and fell resulting in a severe facial cut as well as a broken jaw . [ link ] Unlike most facial fractures that do NOT require any surgical intervention, most jaw fractures do need to be surgically repaired and typically entail wiring the jaw shut. Often, a metal plate with screws will be utilized to stabilize the fracture as well. The reason the jaw is wired shut is so …

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Former Bills QB Jim Kelly Diagnosed with Jaw Cancer

Image from Wikipedia Former QB for the Buffalo Bills, Jim Kelly , announced that he has a squamous cell carcinoma of his upper jawbone . He had been experiencing jaw pain since Dec 2012. When the pain failed to resolve with antibiotics, follow-up testing which probably included a CT scan revealed a cystic mass of the maxillary bone. Removal of this nickel-sized cyst in March 2013 revealed cancer. Additional testing reported by Jim Kelly showed that the cancer has not spread elsewhere. …

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New Oral Appliance for OSA (Only Needs Heat to Fit)

A new sleep apnea oral appliance can be fitted and used at home without going to a dentist called  ApneaRx ! Oral appliances to treat obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) have an upper and lower component that fit into the upper and lower jaws. A mechanism within the device than allows for the lower jaw to be thrust forward to some degree which pulls the tongue and anterior airway forward thereby enlarging the airway and preventing obstructive apneas during sleep. It can also help with snoring…

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The Man With the World's Largest Mouth!

Francisco Domingo Joaquim's 6.69 inches wide mouth has earned him the dubious title of the 'World's Widest Mouth' by the Guinness Book of World Records. His main claim to fame is the ability to put a can of Coke into and out of his mouth with ease as well as spin it around inside his mouth with his tongue. Watch a video here . Read more about him and his amazing mouth here .

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Laryngospasm Pressure Point

There is a technique that has been around for at least half a century that may help patients who suffer from laryngospasm attacks. It is actually a technique used by anesthesiologists to abort laryngospasm while a person is under general anesthesia. Basically, there is a "pressure point" known as the laryngospasm notch located right behind a person's earlobe, but in front of the mastoid bone. One needs to press very firmly deep and forward towards the nose on both sides when…

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