Hi all of my wonderful TMJoiners! I’m Priya Mistry the TMJ doc and today’s topic of discussion is
this wonderful book called “the Life Robbing Pain of TMD. Why Me?” written by Dr. Mac Lee.
Dr. Mac Lee is a fellow dental colleague and someone who I really look up to as a mentor.
He's treated countless patients who are suffering from TMJD and he's had a lot of success doing it.
He wrote this book as a way for people who are in pain to find some answers and hopefully get
to a provider who can help them find relief and improve the quality of their lives.
Keep in mind that this book is highly informative and so easy to read - it's a quick, easy
read - you can get it on Amazon. I’ve included the link to this book in the description box below.
And this video - I'll be doing a book review of it, so I'll be just going
over what each chapter sort of covers but definitely get the book for all the details.
Before getting into it, be sure to check out my social media accounts. I'm on TikTok, Instagram,
all the things so be sure to check them out and follow for quick information, informative tips,
etcetera on TMJD. I’ve noticed that while a lot of you are watching, not all of you are Subscribing
so please be sure to Subscribe. If we Subscribe, continue to watch and share, these videos will be
pushed out more into the world of the Internet to people who are suffering from TMJD. And
hopefully these videos will help more people because that is the very goal of this channel.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a general dentist with a practice in Vancouver,
Washington where we are dedicated to taking care of patients with TMJ disorders.
So let’s get right into it, friends! I’m going to go through each chapter,
kind of highlighting the information and WHY it’s useful to know. So this book is short,
but it's jam packed with information, there's diagrams, it's easy to understand. So I really,
highly recommend investing in this book. Again, it's an easy and informative read for such
a complex and sometimes difficult to understand topic or condition.
Chapter 1 is called “What is TMD? Why Me?”. In this chapter, Dr. Lee starts by validating
YOUR pain. This is so important because so many people who are suffering from TMJD, TMD - whatever
you choose to call it - have been to doctors who are unable to find the source of the pain.
Many people have been written off as drug seekers or even told that they’re imagining their pain
when, in fact, it is something that is very very real! So being treated that way can be
very disheartening and very discouraging for the person that's truly experiencing pain!
After this, Dr. Lee goes on to define some terminology so we're all on the same page
with that. And he also explains why TMJD can be confusing and difficult to diagnose
and treat - so it can be confusing not only for the person going through it,
but for the provider who is trying to diagnose it, who is trying to treat it. And the reason
it can be confusing is because of the causes - so the factors that lead to TMJ dysfunction.
TMJD can be caused by past whiplash injuries, hormones, stress, specific bite patterns, postural
discrepancies, and more! Another thing that can make all of this confusing is the fact that this
condition doesn’t necessarily show up on imaging - it doesn't show up on MRIs, xrays, or CBCT
scans - the way that say, a broken bone or a tumor would. Dr. Lee also highlights that the
focus of this book is the people who are in pain and suffering from TMJD which can be debilitating!
He then goes on to provide links to testimonials of people who have TMJD and have been treated
successfully by “Neuromuscular Principles”. So I'll be doing a video on “Neuromuscular
Principles”, neuromuscular dentistry pretty soon - so be sure to stay tuned for that because all
of that information will help you understand how this condition can be treated successfully.
Chapter 2 is called “Understanding your TM Joint”. So "TMJ"s stands for Temporomandibular
Joint - your jaw joints. Dr. Lee goes over the anatomy of these joints and he also goes over
two different ways you can feel your own jaw joints, which can be really
helpful if you're trying to understand what's going on inside of them. If you have TMJD,
It’s important to really understand the anatomy of these jaw joints so that you
can better understand what's happening inside of them. Knowledge is power and if you have knowledge
also adds validity to what you're saying when you communicate with your healthcare provider!
Let’s move on to Chapter 3. Chapter 3 is called “Popping and Noisy Joint Sounds”.
It can be embarrassing, jarring, painful to have loud noises coming from your jaw joints
when you're speaking or when you're eating. So this chapter explains WITH helpful images
exactly what’s happening inside of your jaw joints when these noises occur.
It compares a “normal”, healthy, quiet joint to one that is clicking or popping and it explains
exactly what's happening in both scenarios. So I can't really stress enough how important it
is to have these images. Most of us are visual learners so having these images,
these diagrams with clear, concise explanations is incredibly helpful and very informative.
Chapter Four is called “Pain in the The Joint/Ear Area”.
Many of you right now are probably thinking, “yes, please” because ear-related symptoms
are very common with people who have TMJD. Many of you have been to the ear doctor,
your primary care physician, a nurse practitioner - whatever it may be - to have your ear checked,
only to find out that there's to find out there's nothing wrong with your ear. In this chapter,
Dr. Lee explains what’s causing the ear discomfort or the ear pain in terms of the
anatomy of the Temporomandibular Joint. He also provides a link to a testimonial of a patient who
suffered from ear pain, ear discomfort and recovered after successful TMJD treatment.
In the last few pages of this chapter, Dr. Lee outlines the concept of an “improper jaw to jaw
relationship”. I personally think this could have its own chapter because understanding this
concept is at the crux of understanding TMJD and how to treat it successfully. This jaw to
jaw relationship is the relationship between the maxillary bones - this “upper jaw” - the
mandible - this “lower jaw” - or only jaw, however you want to define it.. but it's the relationship
of the upper to the lower. When this relationship is incorrect, that can lead to TMJ Disorders. I’ll
say this in another way, because it is well worth repeating to better understand this concept - when
the upper arch and the lower arch are not in a good relationship relative to one another, it
can lead to dysfunction in the jaw joints as well as the muscles that surround and support the jaw.
This well then lead to jaw joint noises - snap, crackle, pop - it can lead to headaches, jaw pain,
neck pain, eye pain, ear pain, etcetera. To correct this relationship between the upper
arch and the lower arch or the upper jaw and the lower jaw, an orthotic is often used. This
orthotic allows the joints and the muscles to be in their "happy place"- to be in a better
position, giving them a chance to heal. This will lessen pain and decrease joint noises over time.
So what exactly is an orthotic? An orthotic is an appliance made by a skilled and experienced
TMJ dentist, that when worn, it places the jaw in a very specific position relative to these upper
bones here. An orthotic put the jawbone in its optimal position relative to the upper arch when
worn. And since this is a book review and not a book reading, I’ll sort of leave it at that.
This whole concept is explained VERY well by Dr. Lee WITH illustrations - so again,
I’d highly recommend investing in this book which again I've linked in the Description Box below.
The next chapter - Chapter 5 - for some reason is not clearly marked, but is called “Treatment for
Pain in the TM Joint/Ear Area”. This section begins with a photograph of someone wearing
a clear orthotic that has been colorized blue. So let me grab a picture of that and show it to you
guys real quick. Right here that blue you can see - that's the orthotic. So it's being worn
on the lower arch. Many TMJ orthotics are made to be worn on the lower arch, rather than the upper.
They can be made on the upper but oftentimes they're made on the lower arch.
Dr. Lee demonstrates not only with that photograph but also with his words
how that orthotic changes the relationship of the upper arch to the lower arch. When I say arch, I'm
talking about they dental arches - they're arch shaped. So he's talking about how that orthotic
changes the relationship, putting the muscles and the joints in a more favorable position.
He then goes on to provide several links to testimonials from patients who had considerable
pain which was then treated by well made neuromuscular orthotic and how their lives
were changed for the better with that orthotic. Dr. Lee also explains that it's very important
that you work with a TMJ dentist who is skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable on treating TMJD!
The next Chapter, Chapter 6, is called “Headaches and Other TMD Pain and Symptoms”. Dr.
Lee goes on to list the most common TMD signs and symptoms which let me tell you - they can be
vast and varied. Dr. Lee then goes on to provide a list of these common signs and symptoms
and he's listed this out in a way that's really easy to glance at, skim, read,
whatever it is if you are busy or if you have eye strain that may be TMJD related.
Dr. Lee also goes over how to feel certain muscles if you're experiencing TMD pain. This
can be very valuable if you’re looking to find or isolate exactly where YOUR pain is coming from.
Chronic Myofascial Pain is something else that Dr. Lee talks about in this chapter.
He starts by defining it. To quote directly from the book,
“Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP), also called ‘Myofascial Pain Syndrome’ is a painful condition
that affects the muscles and the sheath of the tissue - called the fascia - that surrounds the
muscles”. This myofascial pain will manifest and make itself known by trigger points in the
muscles. Dr. Lee then goes on to explain how a properly trained neuromuscular dentist can use
not only an orthotic, but also TENS therapy. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical
Nerve Stimulation. I will be doing a video later on the benefits of TENS therapy,
but if you have a TENS unit at home, please do not put it on your face right now. There's
a very specific one that's approved for the small muscles of the head, neck, and jaw. so
just a little side note there - do NOT put any TENS unit you may have at home on your face.
But anyways, Dr. Lee goes on to explain how a properly trained neuromuscular dentist
can use their training, their skills, their knowledge along with TENS therapy,
neuromuscular software, and orthotics to properly treat and diagnose these trigger points, these
areas where the fascia is tight and constricted and angry.
This treatment will then reduce or eliminate pain and dysfunction over time. There are
also links explaining how Ultra Low Frequency - ULF - TENS therapy can help to decrease pain.
So again, please don't take a random TENS unit and put it on your face. I will be making a video
on TENS therapy and I will be going over which unit is FDA-approved for dental/TMJD use. In
that video, I will also go over how to obtain it because you do need a prescription for that one.
Chapter 7 is called “Treatment for Tension Headaches and Migraines”.
In this chapter, Dr. Lee explains again how an orthotic made with neuromuscular concepts and
technology will help to relieve and decrease pain. He also brings up certain things you can easily do
at home and while awake in terms of the posture of your lips and your tongue and the position
of your teeth. All of those things, if you're doing them, can also help to decrease pain.
So this chapter is short, but it's very informative!
Chapter 8 is called “Finding the Right Dentist”. In this chapter, Dr. Lee sort of walks you through
how to find a dentist that you trust and who is also trained in concepts of Neuromuscular
Dentistry. Many of you have reached out to me and asked for recommendations for different
TMJ dentists in different cities, countries, around the world and sometimes I'm just sort of
at a loss for who to send you to. So I think that getting this book and looking through this chapter
is going to be really really helpful for you guys because it will kind of give you a guide
on how to find somebody that you trust, what questions to ask them, etcetera. Dr. explains
that understanding your condition, being armed with knowledge, being able to communicate with
your dentist in an open manner and having a trusting relationship with that person
is super important. I agree wholeheartedly with all of this! Find someone who cares,
someone who listens to you, and someone who is trained and experienced in treating TMJD!
I understand this can be a tall task. Dr. Lee goes over questions you should ask your provider
and even provides a link that will help you find a trained dentist near you. These dentists are
all members of a group called ICCMO, which stands for “International College of Craniomandibular
Orthopedics”. All of the members of ICCMO have had some training in Neuromuscular Dentistry,
which is the method I use when treating my patients at my TMJD-only practice!
At the end of the book, there is a brief summary of the book and a message from the board of
regents of ICCMO. Dr. Lee also takes a moment to say very clearly that, and I quote, “what you have
learned in this book is not taught in most dental schools and therefore few dentists are trained
in properly treating patients suffering from TMD pain”. Keep that in mind when searching for YOUR
TMD dentist. Please know that most of us don't learn this in dental school. Make sure that you
learn as much as you can about TMJD and start with this book! Again, it's very clearly written, easy
to read, and lots of illustrations because most of us are visual learners. One more suggestion that I
have is that if you have a good relationship with your dentist and you feel comfortable with him or
her, share this book with him or her. It can only help! I mean, we're all trying to help each other,
we're all wanting us all to live our best lives hopefully, and so sharing this book
can really go a long way in terms of that . I know that when I graduated dental school, I didn't have
even 1/10th of the knowledge of what's in this book. I truly feel strongly that if the majority
of dentists knew everything in this book and were trained in the concepts of neuromuscular
dentistry, then we could all help more people. If someone had taken the time to share this book
with me in my 11 years before I met my mentor who taught me all of this, I would have been
so grateful because I truly believe I could have just helped more of my patients that would come
in who were barely able to open, who were having severe pain, and I didn't really know what to do
with them. So I want to take a moment to say Thank You, Dr. Mac Lee, for writing this wonderful book!
So that’s really it my friends! Again, I’m Dr. Priya Mistry and I hope you found this
video helpful. If so, please feel free to like, Subscribe, and share with your family and friends!
For TMJD relief from the comfort of your own home, please download my free PDF Guide called “3 Steps
to TMJ(D) Relief”. You’ll find that on my office website, so please be sure to check that out!
As always, questions and comments are welcome. I'd love to hear from you, especially if you end up
buying this book and if you learn something from it. So again, comments are welcome - I do try to
get back to everybody! And remember, my friends, you can never have TMI about TMJ! Thank you!