Feature Story -Dr. Vincent Davis

Dr. Vincent Davis is a general dentist

whose practice focus is Temporomandibular

Joint Dysfunction, Orofacial Pain and Sleep

Disorders Dentistry. He has accumulated

over 600 hours of post-graduate education

in these areas. Dr. Davis continues to take

continuing education courses in these areas

form international leaders in TMD, Orofacial

Pain and Sleep Disorders Dentistry. Dr. Davis

and his dedicated staff are trained in the latest

state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment. His

treatment philosophy is conservative, nonsurgical

and is consistent with the practice

guidelines of the American Dental Association,

American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, and

the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

Dr. Davis is a graduate of the University of

Maryland School of Dentistry. He completed

a General Practice Residency and Saint

Elizabeth Hospital, Washington, D.C. He was

later accepted into the Clinical Dental Staff

Fellow Program at the National Institutes of

Health, National Institute of Dental Research.

While at NIH Dr. Davis became a Commissioned

officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. At the

NIH Dr. Davis was trained in the diagnosis and

management of salivary gland dysfunction,

craniomandibular dysfunction, oropharyngeal

dysphagia, chemosensory disorders and

immunocompromised patients. He participated

in clinical and basic science research.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

American Academy of Craniofacial Pain

Academy of General Dentistry

Southern Maryland Dental Society

International Association for Orthodontic

Publications

Gail Cherry-Peppers, D.D.S., Vincent Davis,

D.D.S. and Jane C. Atkinson, D.D.S., Sickle Cell

Anemia: A Case Report And Literature Review,

Clinical Preventive Dentistry, 1992; Vol. 14, No. 4

Dr. Vincent Davis

1836 Metzerott Rd, Suite 118

Adelphi, MD 20783

(301) 445-5800

9146 Edgeworth Dr.,

Capitol Heights MD

20743 (301) 333-5882

tmjhealth@vincentdavisdds.com

TMJ Disorders

Predictably Managed

TMJ is an acronym for the temporomandibular

joint. It is a normal part of your body like

your knee. Everyone has a TMJ, and everyone has

a knee. TMJ has become the label for the pain and

dysfunction of the joint and surrounding areas. The

TMJ is where the upper ends of the lower jaw form a

hinge with base of the skull just in front of each ear. This

multifunctional joint makes possible chewing, talking,

singing, smiling, whistling, kissing and breathing.

Acronyms associated with the disorder are:

1. Orofacial Pain (OFP) refers to pain associated with

the hard and soft tissues of the head, face and

neck. It is an emerging discipline of dentistry due

to continuing problem with TMD

2. Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)

• Pain and dysfunction of the TMJ

• Pain and dysfunction of chewing muscles

• Pain and dysfunction not related to bones and

muscles in the head, neck and face

3. Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders

(TMJDs) is pain in one or both jaws, which restricts

movement and spreads into surrounding tissues.

The problem with these definitions is that they only

focus on TMJ chewing muscles and teeth. The problem

is dentistry, and medicine has focused on the TMJ

and teeth to understand and treat a complex disorder.

To manage TMD effectively requires a multi-specialty

approach. TMD does not affect just the TMJ and teeth.

TMD can cause pain and dysfunction in many areas

of the body. Patients with TMD come to my office

with the following symptoms. If you have any of these

symptoms, and certainly if you have combinations of

theses symptoms, you may want to consider an OFP

evaluation and diagnosis to manage your pain.

The symptoms are as follows:

Back pain Dizziness E ar Congestion

Ear Pain E ye Pain Facial Pain

Fatigue Headaches Jaw Clicking

Inability to open mouth Jaw Joint Noises Jaw Locking

Limited mouth opening Jaw Pain Shoulder Pain

Migraine Headache N eck Pain Throat Pain

Ringing in the Ears Sinus Congestion Stiff Shoulders

Teeth Grinding Broken Teeth Burning Tongue

Snoring Dry Mouth Difficulty in swallowing

Numbness hands or fingers

Constant feeling of a foreign object in throat

Pain or Pressure behind the eyesPhotophobia (extreme sensitivity to light)