TMJ Treatment

WEBVTT 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:07.686 TMJ treatment in our office. 00:00:07.771 --> 00:00:13.285 Basically, the most important thing about temporomandibular joint problem 00:00:13.286 --> 00:00:17.240 is to identify what the problem is. 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:21.171 I see a lot of patients coming in who've had previous treatment, 00:00:21.172 --> 00:00:27.439 but they never have understood what's going on with their jaw joint. 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:29.719 Because of that, they don't get better. 00:00:29.720 --> 00:00:35.559 I've been doing it for about 40 years, and I have two fellowships in the area 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.770 of temporomandibular joint treatment and pain management. 00:00:38.771 --> 00:00:41.086 It's very important to identify, 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.557 is this a muscular problem that's creating the pain, 00:00:44.558 --> 00:00:48.714 or is it a joint impairment? 00:00:48.771 --> 00:00:51.242 Because you treat both differently. 00:00:51.243 --> 00:00:52.759 They may have different appliances, 00:00:52.760 --> 00:00:56.080 different procedures that we do to correct the problem. 00:00:56.086 --> 00:01:00.057 It's important to identify first what are we dealing with. 00:01:00.360 --> 00:01:03.257 Then we develop a treatment plan. 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:05.560 We can use Botox. 00:01:05.561 --> 00:01:10.243 Sometimes we use dental appliances to reposition the jaw. 00:01:10.360 --> 00:01:15.957 Procedures and recovery for TMJ patients will differ from patient to patient. 00:01:16.160 --> 00:01:20.999 Generally, we look at about three months, 90 days 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:24.200 to get the patient stable and feeling better. 00:01:24.320 --> 00:01:25.886 Then after that, 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.043 we may have some more definitive treatments that we need to do 00:01:29.044 --> 00:01:34.771 to keep the patient comfortable and maintain their level of oral health. 00:01:35.057 --> 00:01:38.029 One thing about TMJ treatment is that, 00:01:38.543 --> 00:01:42.028 again, it's really a life-changing treatment 00:01:42.029 --> 00:01:45.113 because patients are oftentimes in a lot of pain, 00:01:45.114 --> 00:01:47.200 and they can't function on a routine basis. 00:01:47.230 --> 00:01:53.057 They can't be with their families in a happy situation comfortable. 00:01:53.957 --> 00:01:56.628 When we can get a patient more comfortable, 00:01:56.629 --> 00:01:58.500 it can be life-changing. 00:01:59.143 --> 00:02:04.586 That's our whole goal in treating our patients is to make them better.