TMJ Services

Migraine is primarily a clinical diagnosis, meaning doctors identify it by reviewing your symptoms and medical history rather than using a single definitive lab test or scan. Medical professionals use standardized criteria from the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) to distinguish migraines from other types of headaches. It is interesting to note that the ICHD-3 does not […]

What would you think about a PCP who told you diabetes was caused by eating too much sugar rather than a problem with the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas. Or how about an ophthalmologist who told you the need to change your prescription was because you squint too much when you read. What about the dentist who told you that your tooth decay is caused by little worms that get inside the tooth like people […]

The title for this article could also be, “How Much Pain and Disfunction Can a Patient Stand?”  Last Thursday I walked into an examination room to begin a consultation with a 54-year-old female I had never seen before.  After doing over 5000 consultations for patients referred to our practice, you might imagine I have developed a routine out of habit.  I even joke with […]

After doing over 5000 consultations with patients with TMD symptoms one thing is for sure.  Patients are confused about TMD.  Whether patients have had symptoms for 6 weeks or 6 decades, one thing is certain, patients have no idea what is wrong with them, all they can do is describe the symptoms and hope the doctor can figure it out.    Here is an […]

Meniere’s disease is a chronic inner ear disorder that primarily affects hearing and balance. It is characterized by unpredictable “attacks” of severe dizziness and hearing issues that can last from 20 minutes to a full day.  A typical attack usually involves a combination of these four symptoms:   Vertigo: A sudden, intense spinning sensation that often causes […]

There is a word that defines the occasions when a heath care provider creates or contributes to a disease process.  The descriptive term is IATROGENIC.    According to Merriam-Webster iatrogenic is defined as: damage or disease induced unintentionally by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures.  It is derived from the Greek “’Iatros” (physician) and “genic” (created from).  Unfortunately, there are many examples of this throughout […]

Every dentist is taught in dental school that there are two distinct bites.  This is a very important concept for many reasons, not the least of which is that every type of dental treatment, procedure, or device depends on the dentist have a thorough grasp and understanding of this concept.  If you question your dentist about this statement, he or she will say, “Of course, everybody has […]

Over the past 200 years the healing professions have discovered the solution for a variety of diseases. Tuberculosis which filled hospitals in the 19th century is almost unheard of today because of the discovery that Isoniazid effectively kills tuberculum bacillus bacteria. The scourge of polio filling entire hospital wards with iron lungs has been almost […]

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, TMD has been an enigma for the dental procession for over 70 years while all the information to solve the puzzle has been available in scientific literature all along. That is a fact.   The Orthopedic Surgeons call it “Joint Splinting” euphemistically.  It is a very simple concept if you understand a couple of things about joints, nerves, and muscles. 1.) […]

The diagnosis and treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, (TMD) has been justifiably coined the “Wild West of Dentistry” for more than 50 years. Since it was first described by an ENT surgeon in 1934, patients who suffer the disparate and confusing symptoms of TMD have been placed on a merry-go-round of theories, treatments, from various […]