2841 Hartland Road, Suite 301, Falls Church, VA 22043 703-821-1103
There are so many factors involved with TMD (temporomandibular disorder) that it can make one’s head spin. When it comes to analyzing TMJ disorders, there are many factors that need to be examined. One of the first pieces to the puzzle is actually a palpation exam where the dentist presses on the various muscle groups to determine if any are... read more »
When a patient calls in and says, “I think I have TMJ” the office staff could possibly be quite flip. More than likely such a response would never happen. Realistically, what a person is trying to say is he or she is having a TMJ problem, not that they have a Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). This is a bit of a... read more »
Most of us who have TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder) ask our doctors what restrictions we have to endure when wearing appliances in our mouths. One of the first things to consider is what to eat. There is actually a recipe book dedicated to just that purpose! Basically, if you are wearing ALF appliances, then you have the usual turbos on the... read more »
What a gorgeous smile means to most of us is a great set of pearly whites that show off how healthy we are and how much we care about ourselves. Caring about your smile also translates into caring about your entire body which just makes good sense. What this means to you is that by keeping all your teeth, your... read more »
In the past, it was quite common to hear ‘just pull it Doc’ if your tooth had a cavity, gum disease, or caused pain. After all, you have 32 of them by the time you are a teenager. Surely, you can spare a few here and there. Well, as it turns out, even pulling your wisdom teeth may not be... read more »
When you are working with our office and wearing your TMD appliances - the ALF, the Modified Gelb, or a combination thereof, it is really important to keep up with your dentist to make sure the teeth and gums are doing well. Every new patient who walks into our office is made aware that they must work with their dentist... read more »
There is a high percentage of the population that deals with disordered breathing while sleeping. Many may not understand the effects of this, and how it plays into their daily life. Nor do they understand the options for fixing it. There are different routes to take while exploring what works best for you. MFT refers to Myofunctional Therapy. This means... read more »
It really is unfortunate that TMJ surgery is so misunderstood. Most patients, when told they might benefit from surgery, look it up online only to discover very scary pictures where the incision goes from the ear down to the chin on each side of their face. Then, after more research they learn that their teeth are wired shut for two... read more »
Dear Readers, yes, tongue exercises are really a thing. It’s called myofunctional therapy. What you do is you learn how to stretch and move the tongue in different directions so it does not get flaccid (limp) over time, and this keeps the airway more open because the adjacent muscles will tend to be in better shape! So, think of it... read more »
With many TMJ disorders, there oftentimes exist other problems that add to the mix -- these are called comorbidities. When understanding a TMJ disorder, it is often wise to figure out if the person might also have other medical conditions. A great few examples are EDS, POTS, and/or MCAS. Let’s review each of these and how they might affect the... read more »