During the last 25 years I’ve been in practice, many new developments have allowed all of us to benefit from new information and new philosophies with regard to “TMJ” and “Craniofacial Pain/Headache” disorders.
Gone are the days that people with TMJ problems were thought of as “crazy hypochondriacs”. We now know that there are complex mechanical issues at play. We now know that drug therapy alone simply cannot solve the problem.
Ours is a tripartite philosophy. We believe that careful accurate diagnosis of mechanical issues coupled with treatment of surrounding painful muscles and ligaments along with treatment of the distant sites and referral sources of pain is crucial to helping our patients return to normal function as quickly as possible, even if they’ve had their pain for years and years and nothing has seemed to help.
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and craniofacial pain have been poorly understood for years. Science and technology keep bringing us closer to a much better understanding of the problem and in turn, the best possible solutions. This allows our patients to have a much higher quality of life than they might have thought possible.
The most gratifying part of my practice is helping someone who has lived with a constant headache for years and didn’t know it was TMJ related. When we help them with their TMJ issue and their headache goes away, that is tremendous!
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Board Certified: American Board of Craniofacial Pain
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Distinguished Fellow: American Academy of Craniofacial Pain
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DDS: University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, 1987
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Experience: Celebrating 25 years of practicing dentistry
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Continuing Education: Over 500 hours relating to Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction and Craniofacial Pain
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Member: American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, American Orthodontic Society, American Dental Association, Oklahoma Dental Association