in the last week
My dentist referred me to this practice after I developed a methacrylate allergy to my acrylic night guard. This manifested after using the night guard for 2+ years to manage TMJ pain, where suddenly the area of my tongue that touches the material felt the same as if it had been scalded by hot liquid. Discontinuing using the night guard resolved the tissue irritation but my TMJ pain became an issue again, especially when stressed and before/during the ovulation phase in my cycle.
Dr Priya was thankfully able to work with her manufacturer to use a material other than acrylic, and of the two options we went with nylon for longevity.
Her and the staff are always very friendly and professional, and the office is beautiful decorated with comfortable seating and accommodations such as refreshments.
I was diagnosed with level two TMDD, meaning my joint was not abnormal but my jaw muscles were in a frequent state of spasm and were not able to be in a relaxed position asleep nor awake. I did not grind a lot during sleep but I did clench my jaw sporadically.
While this treatment series is notably expensive, it was worth it for me to have an orthotic device that manages my TMJ pain effectively. Expect to spend several thousand dollars depending on your diagnosis, needs, and severity. Medical insurance requires pre-authorization on all codes that would be billed in the work up appointment, which I did not pursue due to the time commitment I would have had to give for no guarantees. I used FSA funds and paid out of pocket after that was exhausted.
Beyond the workup appointment and after device delivery you will be recommended to attend follow up appointments every few weeks. This is worth it because you will fine tune the fit of your orthotic for your bite. The delivery appointment, which is no charge, will have some initial fitting to match the opposite teeth, but it will take time to identify discomfort and return for more adjustments. Dr Priya handles the fitting in the follow up appointments, so this is your chance to work with her to perfect the fit. If I felt excess pressure on a tooth this is what I would report to her, and she would grind away small amounts of material to make room for the opposite tooth feeling the pressure/discomfort. Some spots needed to be revisited in subsequent visits, since it can be hard to know if enough was done with the residual feeling still affecting your teeth.
Once I felt my fit was nearly perfect and Dr Priya had observed that my symptoms were significantly improved, we made the joint decision to "graduate" from treatment. I truly appreciate everything from Dr Priya and her team and will miss the jaw/head massages, although maybe I will splurge and come back for some more!