Most dentists, upon completing their professional training, will admit to having limited understanding of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and Dental Occlusion. This lack of understanding, and the resultant confusion, largely explains the reputation of these subjects as being "controversial".

Unfortunately, this is also often the reason that patients with these disorders are not recognized in a timely manner. All too often patients suffering from temporomandibular joint disorders will not receive help until their condition has reached an advanced or acute stage when treatment is more difficult, more costly, and less predictable. Both dentists and patients become frustrated by the disagreement within the field and treatment options vary widely from doctor to doctor and from region to region.

There is a need for every dentist to have sufficient knowledge to recognize these disorders before they become more advanced and less treatable. During the initial stages of a TMJ problem, many patients with jaw pain, ear fullness, earaches, and headaches are untreated because their doctors have not been trained to recognize the early signs and symptoms of TMD. Making this basic knowledge available, together with implementation of a practical protocol for screening patients, is central to the teaching philosophy of Drawbridge Seminars.

Definitive management of these disorders can be complex and it is unrealistic to expect all dentists to acquire the expertise required in their management. For those who have the interest to pursue a more in-depth understanding, the educational materials in the Provider Resources menu will guide the clinician through a comprehensive knowledge base for the diagnosis and management of TMJ disorders.

Drs. Higdon and Howard, with a combined experience of over 60 years in the full-time non-surgical management of TMDs, have each been committed students of the scientific literature related to TMD and dental occlusion. Drawing on this depth of experience, knowledge and resulting skill enables them to provide a scientifically-based yet clinically-relevant perspective on these challenging and often-misunderstood areas of dentistry.