Educating Yourself About TMJ
Consult Your Medical Doctor
We recommend that you first consult with a medical doctor to rule out any disease that may be causing your symptoms and is treated by medical practitioners. If they are unable to find a reason for your problem, and you are referred to a dentist for a TMJ evaluation, we encourage you to then obtain multiple INDEPENDENT opinions on your condition.
Get an Independent Opinion
To be a truly independent opinion, the medical/dental professional can not be associated with or working with the medical/dental professional from whom you have already received an opinion. Many TMJ patients seek further opinions outside of their geographical area, without the referral of their original medical/dental professional.
Educate Yourself and Others
With the increase of managed care (HMOs), where a primary care physician is your health care gatekeeper it is mandatory that you, the patient, become your own well-informed advocate. You will also need to educate your primary care physician and all others you encounter within the system about TMJ.
