All I can say for my own pain history is “I thank my lucky stars that I found TMJ diagnosis and treatment”. Otherwise, I would never have found a cure for my own debilitating pain. I had headache pain going back to fourth grade. Once every three or four months I would get a vicious headache and would throw up. My mother took me to numerous doctors who had no answers.
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Throughout high school and college I had headaches once to twice a week. The day before my first big textbook exam in dental school at USC, I got a headache that absolutely flattened me. I was in bed as soon as I got home from school and was unable to do the study review needed for the exam. The headaches continued throughout dental school, including some that were overwhelming. My headaches continued as I became a practicing professional. I looked for answers, but in the early 70’s, there were no answers for TMJ. If you had severe pain, your resources were neurology, psychiatry, and medication.

In 1975, while driving my car, I stopped at a red light. The driver in the car behind me never saw the red light or my car and "plowed" into me at about 35 miles per hour. I didn’t think I was hurt badly. My neck and back were sore, but some treatment from a physical therapist had me feeling better. Three months later, I woke up on a Monday morning and I felt like someone had hit me over the head with a baseball bat. My head and neck were on fire. I could barely get out of bed. Little did I know that the trauma from that auto accident had greatly aggravated my undiagnosed TMJ problem. My wife drove me to my medical doctor who checked me out and had no answers. I was referred to both a neurologist and an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist). There were no substantial findings. I was basically told by three Dr.’s that I was a young professional with a lot of stress. Mellow out, take some pills to relax, and get more exercise. This was not right. I knew in my heart there was something more going on, but what?

In 1978 I took a dental education course about balancing the bite (adjusting the teeth so everything hits very evenly). The instructor talked about how an unbalanced bite effects the jaw joints at the sides of face, the muscles of the face and neck, and the tendons and ligaments of the head and neck. Problems in these areas could cause pain. I knew I had finally stumbled on to the answers for my own pain, and for those out there suffering with their own debilitating pain problems! I spent enormous amounts of time personally researching the available treatment protocols and reviewing current research on expanded treatment regimens. I attended numerous courses, going wherever necessary to improve my knowledge in this area of special treatment.

My own treatment included some trial and error, through wearing and adjusting a mouthpiece, and therapies, which I trained my staff to perform. It took about one year to gain the relief I sought. In my personal recovery from the debilitating pain of TMJ, I utilized oral orthotics (mouthpieces), chiropractic's and physical therapy,and nutritional supplements.

Today, I have occasional flare-ups of joint pain, but I successfully treat the symptoms with over-the-counter aspirin substances - I do not require ANY prescription drugs to alleviate the pain. Make no mistake, however, TMJ is a permanent injury to anyone who suffers from this chronic and debilitating condition. It is my goal to create a treatment plan that enables my patients to be relieved of the excruciating daily pain and to get back to living a more normal life. I focus my efforts on achieving the same outcome in their treatment as I myself achieved.