505.474.4644
Center For Dental Medicine
Evaluation and treatment of head, face, and jaw pain
We help people who have been suffering with head pain, face pain, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and limited jaw movement.
We also treat those with movement disorders, such as Tourette's Syndrome and Parkinson's Disease.
The key to successful treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis. That's worth repeating with different words. Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment is done by guess work. An accurate diagnosis depends on collection and analysis of information about the symptoms, history, other disorders, and even family history. A comprehensive physical evaluation is necessary, as are radiographic images, and sometimes MRIs.
Once a specific diagnosis is made, an approach to treatment can be created. The treatment varies, depending on the diagnosis. The terms "TMJ" and "TMD" are not diagnoses. They are broad categories that encompass many different diagnoses.
We cannot help everyoneTemporomandibular disorders are disturbances in the body's ability to maintain itself in health. Because of this, healing depends on the treatment chosen, the willingness and ability of the patient to follow recommendations, and the ability of the body to heal. The large majority of patients experience relief when the proper treatment for TMJ has been selected and followed. However, there are those people whose symptoms do not respond in a positive way. This is an unfortunate fact. We hope that someday, scientists will discover methods that will be effective for everyone. For now, we all do the very best we can.
Call us
If you are here to learn if your pain might be TMD, we are happy to answer by phone any questions you may have. Call us at 505-466-4728.
If you would like to make an appointment, we feel it is best to do so by phone. Computerized appointment systems try to make you fit the system. We try our best to fit your needs.