Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 8/26/2004

Question
what can  any of the folowoing speciaties  do for tmj?

regular dentist
oral surgeon
tmj specialist
what is the technical term for a tmj specialist
can they really help or r the treatments cumbersum ofr the bruxism
what came first the tmj or the teeth grinding?
if the former   maybe there is help
if the latter  , bak when i wen to dentists for  bruxism they didnt seem able to do much for me but then agin i didn't go to a specialist

Answer
regular dentist: this depends on what the dentist feels comfortable with. he/she can adjust occlusion, make night guards, make crowns to stabilize the bite, etc. you want the dentist to have a lot of experience in treating patients with TMJ problems. ask about this.

oral surgeon: they usually do more work on the joint itself. the often will try to lavage or rinse it out. this seems to be the treatment of choice these days. I often will refer patients to the oral surgeon for a thorough evaluation. they may order an MRI to get a definitive diagnosis and then we go from there.

tmj specialist: there is no such recognized specialty. these are usually general dentists who do a lot of work on patients with tmj problems. this just tells you they enjoy this work and have a lot of experience. just not a specialty.

as far as which comes first, tmj or bruxism. this varies from individual to individual. you need a firm diagnosis first. is it actual joint problem or a muscle/ligament problem. i feel more are the latter. i have even found using physical therapists or chiropractors who have a lot of experience with tmj patients helps. they can stretch things out and teach exercises to keep things under control.

see if this information helps. good luck.,

jeff dalin, dds