For years I have seen the impact of life’s worries and challenges in patients of all ages. Whether the origin was financial, family, relationship-driven, work-prompted, medical, or a daunting combination of many factors, the result is often the emergence or escalation of an orofacial or jaw pain/dysfunction problem. With their muscles and associated sensory and motor nerves … [Read more...] about Telehealth and the Orofacial Pain/TMD Practice
Orofacial Pain Approved As A Dental Specialty
To My Professional Colleagues, For years I have purposely avoided using the designation, Orofacial Pain Specialist, to describe what I do. However, on March 31, 2020 the ADA Committee of the National Commission on Specialty Status approved the new dental specialty, Orofacial Pain. Orofacial Pain Specialists will therefore be board-certified dental specialists, who limit their … [Read more...] about Orofacial Pain Approved As A Dental Specialty
Saying No To Root Canal
When your patient thinks root canal is needed – and you disagree… If you have been practicing dentistry for some years, a patient has likely presented to your office with a toothache of unclear origin. During your routine evaluation process, you struggled to identify the origin of the pain despite the patient’s insistence on the location and the need for something to be done … [Read more...] about Saying No To Root Canal
Sprained TM Joints…More Common Than You Think!
We all encounter patients with signs and symptoms that we diagnose as a TMJ disorder. Assigning a specific diagnosis under the broad umbrella of TMJ disorders is, therefore, the next and essential step if we are to adequately educate and plan effective care for those seeking our help. As the most common TM disorders are present due to some level of orthopedic injury to the … [Read more...] about Sprained TM Joints…More Common Than You Think!
PTSD AND OROFACIAL PAIN – A Case Study
Identifying the origin of a patient’s chronic orofacial and TMJ pain is what makes my work both challenging and rewarding. Sometimes the answers are readily apparent while at other times uncovering important clues is more difficult. In all cases, there is no substitute for obtaining a careful history as the insights gained often help point to the mechanism of pain that is … [Read more...] about PTSD AND OROFACIAL PAIN – A Case Study