Archive for the ‘ Blog ’ Category

Over the past 7 years I have interviewed and done consultations with more than 6000 patients with TMD/TMJ.  I could write a book about what I learned during those consultations. Several people have told me I need to write the book.  Maybe, someday, I will. But now my full attention is on how to educate […]

                You don’t have to be a Doctor to Diagnose TMD/TMJ You read that correctly, “You don’t have to be a doctor to Diagnose TMJ/TMD”.  If you have read previous articles in this blog you will see that TMD/TMJ is actually not a very complicated disease to understand, diagnose and treat.  Unfortunately, home remedies, night […]

Tinnitus, Subjective Hearing Loss, Vertigo and TMD Tinnitus, (Ringing or buzzing in the ears), Subjective Hearing Loss, (The feeling like you ears are full of water or you are in an airplane and can’t clear your ears), and Vertigo,(a constant or intermittent sense of dizziness) are all well- known and accepted symptoms of TMD/TMJ.  Although […]

Bruxism and TMD/TMJ Bruxism is the technical and scientific term used to describe clenching and/or grinding of the teeth due to involuntary motion of the lower jaw. Bruxism can occur during the day, Awake Bruxism (AB) or at night, Night Bruxism (NB). Bruxism is very common, and it is estimated that roughly half the population […]

The greatest breakthrough in understanding TMD/TMJ originated with the realization that Tennis Elbow and TMD/TMJ were variations of the same problem associated with different joints in the body. This realization then led to the explanation of why the painful symptoms of TMD/TMJ seem to move around from place to place and are confused with so […]

TMD and Misinformation:  Antidepressants will Fix TMD This is the 5th in a series of articles on common misinformation and misconceptions about treating TMD. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed in the 21st Century. According to one study in 2020, “During 2015–2018, 13.2% of Americans aged 18 and over reported taking antidepressant medication in the past 30 days. Antidepressant […]

The consensus among everyone, the patients, the physicians, and the dentists, who deal with the symptoms of TMD/TMJ is that “Nothing Works”.  I recently had a conversation with a very well known and highly professionally placed orthodontist who quoted his orthodontic professor and mentor as saying: “The best way to treat a TMJ patient is […]

This is the fourth article in a series addressing misinformation regarding TMD/TMJ. Muscle relaxants are frequently prescribed by medial and dental providers for patients with TMD.  The generic name for muscle relaxants is Cyclopenzaprine and the most common brand name is Flexaril.  The fist thing to know about muscle relaxants is that they do not […]

This is the third article in a series addressing misinformation regarding TMD/TMJ. Bruxism is the technical term for clenching and grinding the teeth.  No doubt clenching and grinding the teeth is the most common circumstance related to TMD.  In my experience, 80% of patients who present to our practice with TMD clench and grind their […]