Blogs

There is a particular quality of jaw pain that patients struggle to describe—and that clinicians who do not specialize in temporomandibular disorders often struggle to interpret. It is not the dull, heavy ache of a fatigued muscle. It is not the sharp mechanical catch of a displaced disc. It is a burning sensation—a deep, relentless

There is a specific kind of discouragement that belongs to patients who have already tried to fix their jaw. It is different from the uncertainty of someone who has not yet sought care. It is the frustration of someone who did the responsible thing—made the appointment, followed the recommendations, wore the appliance or took the

There is a specific kind of discouragement that belongs to patients who have already tried to fix their jaw. It is different from the uncertainty of someone who has not yet sought care. It is the frustration of someone who did the responsible thing—made the appointment, followed the recommendations, wore the appliance or took the

The conversation happens several times a week. A patient sits across from me, night guard in hand—sometimes a custom-fabricated appliance from their dentist, sometimes a boil-and-bite device purchased from a pharmacy shelf—and says some version of the same thing: “I’ve been wearing this for months and nothing has changed. My jaw still clicks. My headaches