TMJ Services
#77 TMD/TMJ and Tardive Dyskinesia
I bet you haven’t heard of Tardive Dyskinesia. Unless you are a Neurologist or Psychiatrist you probably don’t know about Tardive Dyskinesia. It is kind of a medical secret. The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want to talk much about Tardive Dyskinesia. Most general physicians, PCP’s, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants don’t know about Tardive Dyskinesia. Most […]
# 76 Why TMD/TMJ is a Confusing Disease
It was 50 years ago, while training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital, I confronted my first case of TMD/TMJ. As a junior resident I was allowed to assist the chairman of the department operating on a patient who exhibited the disparate symptoms of this confusing and devastating disease. Before having the […]
#75 TMD is an Orphan Disease
In his book, “Mistreated, Why We Think We’re Getting Good Health Care, and Why We’re Usually Wrong”, Dr Robert Pearl M.D., retired CEO of Kaiser-Permanente Health Care System, describes why sepsis (infection) is an orphan disease even though it is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Within the practice of medicine, physicians concentrate their efforts […]
#74 Willful Ignorance and TMD/TMJ
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is a devastating disease. It is a progressive disease which usually starts out with minimal symptoms, once ignored, progresses into multiple symptoms which eventually ruins the patient’s ability to continue with life’s normal functions and duties. It has been estimated that millions of workplace hours are missed each year in the US […]
#73 Doctors and Patients Confusing TMD/TMJ and Sleep Apnea
Recently, I saw a patient referred to me by a general dentist for consultation for TMD/TMJ. The non-surgical treatment of TMD/TMJ is the only service our practice offers. Once I began the consultation and asked a few questions it was obvious the patient’s problem was Sleep Apnea not TMD/TMJ. You might ask, how could that […]
#72 Interprofessional Practice and TMJ/TMD
There is a growing movement in medicine and dentistry to integrate services in order to make them more efficient and convenient for the patient. According to Robert Pearl MD, the retired CEO of Kaiser Permanente Health Systems, the largest independent healthcare system in the United Staes, research has estimated that inappropriate tests and ineffective procedures […]
#69 Value Based TMD/TMJ Treatment (Part 4) Minimal Side Effects and Unintended Consequences
This is part 4 in a series of articles focused on describing the features of “Value Based Healthcare” as it applies to the diagnosis and treatment of TMD/TMJ using the Urbanek Device and Protocol. “Value Based Healthcare” is defined by Dr. Robert Pearl, M.D., retired CEO of Kaiser-Permanente Health Care System, and author of the […]
#65 Value Based TMD/TMJ Treatment
Welcome to 2024. I write this on New Year’s Day with all the “New Year’s Day” intentions of making 2024 the best and most successful year treating patients with TMD/TMJ. This article is the 65th in a series of articles focused on educating patients about all aspects of understanding, diagnosing, and treating the enigma/conundrum, commonly […]
#59 “How Come No One Ever Told Me About this Before?” (Part 7)
This is the seventh in a series of articles designed to answer the most common question asked by our patients after years or even decades of suffering life altering TMD/TMJ symptoms. We often hear, “How come no one ever told me about this before?” This question is often mirrored by their statement, “The only thing […]
#58 “How Come No One Ever Told Me About this Before?” (Part 6)
“How Come No One Ever Told Me About this Before?” (Part 6) This is the sixth in a series of articles designed to answer the most common question asked by our patients after years or even decades of suffering life altering TMD/TMJ symptoms. We often hear, “How come no one ever told me about this […]