My dentist suggests that I have TMJ. I did some research and he is likely right. There seem to be a lot of dentists who advertise as TMJ Specialists. My dentist says there is no such thing as a TMJ specialist. Which is it?
Tina S. – Bryant, AR
Tina,
Good question. In a way, both are right. There isn’t a recognized specialty in TMJ. Any general dentist can, with the right post-graduate training, treat TMJ.
Generally, if someone says they’re a TMJ specialist, what they mean is they have taken the time to get a significant amount of TMJ training.
If you’re concerned about your dentist’s training, just ask him. Here are some good places for him to have received training in TMJ:
- The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies (LVI)
- The Kois Center
- The Dawson Academy
- The TMJ Institute of America
If your dentist names a place other than this, feel free to ask about it.
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