#39 Why do Doctors and Patients Think Treating TMD is Complicated?

Whether you are a doctor who currently treats TMD or a patient who has the diagnosis of TMD, there is a 100% certainty that you think TMD is complicated to treat.

From the doctor’s perspective they have learned there are hundreds of various opinions and thousands of academic articles written on the problem.  Trying to figure out which opinion to follow and which academic articles are valid and lead to effective treatment is more than a full-time job.  Confusion abounds and thousands of peer reviewed published academic articles disagree among themselves, and none has led to a standard, successful, effective, long-term treatment.  No wonder doctors think TMD is complicated because if no one agrees on how to treat the problem it must be complicated.

From the patient’s perspective who suffer from one or all of the symptoms, they have usually bounced from doctor to doctor and recommended treatment to recommended treatment only to find that their symptoms continue in a confusing manner without end.  No wonder patients think TMD is complicated because it is a problem that has no answer, it must be complicated.

And the dental schools who teach young dentists about TMD always start by saying the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a very complicated joint, and it is so complicated that no one can figure it out.

Actually, it is in man’s nature to add layers of complexity to a problem if it cannot be solved. Think about it.  If you have an unsolvable and difficult problem in your life, what have you done about it.  Have you looked for a simple answer, or have you added layers of opinions from others, read books and listened to videos about it.  Or did you look for a simple answer. Have the complicated actions and decisions been the most successful in your life or has the least complicated action or decision been the most successful.

We know that all the symptoms of TMD are caused by inflammation within the TMJ.  That has been covered well in previous articles in this series.  If you know what causes inflammation within the TMJ and remove that cause the symptoms should decrease.

The cause of inflammation in the TMJ is overloading the joint by clenching and grinding of the teeth, acute trauma, and functional malocclusion.  If overloading the joint causes inflammation, then unloading the joint should decrease inflammation.

That is exactly how the Urbanek Device and Protocol Works.  It unloads the TMJ like a set of crutches unloads the knee.  No more, no less.  Simple, not complicated.  When the loads are removed from the joint the symptoms decrease.

Simple is better.

If you would like to find out about the simple way to treat TMD give us a call and make an appointment for a consultation.  We hare here to make things simple, not complicated.