hi all;
I am always trying to make connections and figure out new things. I figure that if something is described as "idiopathic", it means we just don't know yet what causes it and there's lots more to be learned and sorted out with it.

so here's my question to the group. how many of you had orthodontia as kids? or even as adults? and if so, did you have headgear, or did you have dental extractions? did you start having problems not long after ortho finished? if so, what kind of problems? even as subtle as perhaps a change in personality or emotional state.

another question; when you look in the mirror, do the sides of your forehead extend straight up/perpendicular to the floor as you draw a line from your lateral cheekbones to your hairline, or do the sides angle inwards?

(my forehead is quite narrow, causing me to suspect that my skull did not grow large enough for my brain. I had orthodontia with headgear. this probably narrowed my airway further, causing damage to my TMJs, and contributed to a forward head posture. this has been shown to impair venous drainage from the jugular foramen, something that could potentially lead to increased CSF pressure. I suspect that if I had had extractions that I would have fallen ill in my 20s, rather than making it to my 40s, due to the effect on sleep apnea of narrowing my jaws further.)

thanks!
Deb

I have never thought about this before but I had 4 teeth removed not long before I was diagnosed as a child. Apparently my jaw wasn't big enough to accomodate all the teeth I had so they pulled two top and two bottom ones.....

yes, the human jaw is too small for our teeth and tongue; the selection pressure for speech was so great that humans ended up with sleep apnea as a consequence, since sleep apnea normally doesn't kill you till after you reproduce. I am beginning to think that modern orthodontia is criminal. they do not consider the airway and they end up making the jaw smaller and reducing the already small space for the tongue. if you got sick right after this then you should definitely get evaluated for sleep apnea. it is known to be a cause of IIH.