Understanding the Niche of TMJ

The dental care industry is highly populated with dentists, specialists, oral surgeons, and more. Some dentists like to keep life simple and provide oral hygiene services, while others like to explore niches and address specific, uncommon problems. Dr. Eddie Siman fits the latter mold – he’s one of the leading TMJ experts in Los Angeles, and he’s been at it for over 30 years. He stands out as a dentist, but not because he keeps your pearly whites bright; instead, he was interested in a solution to an issue, and he directed his efforts at those who needed help.

So, what’s TMJ?

TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint. Big word, we know, but it’s easy to identify it on your jaw.

Put your hand on the side of your face, right in front of your ear, and move your jaw up and down. Feel that little ball-shaped protrusion that suddenly appears? That’s your temporomandibular joint. Clench your teeth and you’ll feel your masseter muscle flexing. Do this all the time without being aware of it and you’ll feel strains and headaches, and you may even begin to suffer some dental damages.

TMJ disorders are usually identified by clicking or popping in the joint, which often comes from misalignment. We’re sure you’ve heard of lockjaw, right? More commonly known as tetanus, it’s a bacterial infection categorized by jaw muscle spasms that prevent you from opening your jaw.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. TMJ disorders can also be the root causes of a slew of problems you probably thought were not related at all. Check out some of these lesser-known issues:

• Tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears
• Ear congestion or a feeling of constant cloudiness when hearing
• Migraine headaches
• Sleep apnea (obstruction of the airway during sleep, due to the fact that your misaligned jaw is causing your tongue to sit further back, which in turn is allowing the tongue to fold and close off the throat)
• Poor spinal posture and various problems with the neck and shoulders

Sure, you’re thinking, there’s no way that such a tiny joint can be responsible for so many different problems. But rest assured, there’s a lot more going on than you realize.

Is this more than a dental problem?

TMJ disorders are innately connected to dental issues because the joint controls the jaw, and the jaw is the foundation for the teeth. There can be other issues at play, but fixing the joint or the alignment can cause a lot of problems to go away.

TMJ-centric practices are like dentistry taken to another level. What you had before at the dentist were routine procedures – you get your teeth cleaned, you get a crown, you get a root canal, you get your wisdom teeth removed (and chew on gauze until you get home so you can drink your meals for a week while loopy on meds).

Now, Dr. Siman can do much more. He practices holistic dentistry, which means no invasive surgery or extreme procedures. To fix a misaligned jaw, he and the team will evaluate you and have a custom orthotic crafted for your mouth. This oral device is to be worn while you sleep, which lets your jaw passively work itself back into a normal, comfortable position. A lot of the tension you feel will also be addressed with TENS technology, which relaxes the muscles small electrical stimulation.

Far cry from your regular dentist using a small ice-pick on your plaque build-up, isn’t it?

What else can Dr. Siman do? Can he fix my smile?

Everyone cares about their teeth because of their smiles. They whiten, they straighten, they use charcoal, they do everything possible to stay radiant. Yet some don’t have those options, and when teeth have been knocked out or lost due to an accident, or if an infection or botched surgery or root canal caused a number of teeth to be removed, there aren’t many options.

There are dentures, of course, but they can get lost. Worse – for many who believe a social faux pas to be more damaging than misplacement – they can come loose or be spit out during speech or during a meal.

There are bridges and implants, but some bridges won’t cover a large area or need to be cemented to the teeth. Dental implants can also be a lengthy process, as you’ll need a titanium screw inserted for each tooth that’s missing.

Yet Dr. Eddie Siman, thanks to his training under Dr. Malo, has made it possible for smiles to come back with a wholly different technique. The All on Four technique, as it’s called, places four screws in the mouth with a fully functional set of bridges affixed to them. The screws are strategically placed so that no more than four are necessary. The top screws are inserted at a 45-degree angle, which provides more structure and support than a number of screws inserted in a horseshoe shape inside the mouth.

One simple engineering change and the field of dental implants was altered forever.

Plenty of dentists keep to the standard procedures or refer you to a periodontist or oral surgeon if you need surgery. They don’t have much that sets them apart in the sea of dentists. That’s what makes Dr. Eddie Siman stand out and why his marketing is a success.

More than a Dentist – a TMJ Expert

When you think of a dentist, certain buzzwords come to mind, and specific images flash into your head. You think of floss and a reclined chair, you hear the whirr of a cleaning tool and taste the mint on your tongue. You certainly don’t think of Ultra-Low Frequency TENS (transcutaneous electronic neural stimulation) and holistic treatments, but that’s what sets Dr. Eddie Siman’s center apart from the rest. He breaks ground and shatters expectations of what dentistry should comprise, of what dentists should be able to do.

Marketing Services at Promotion LA

We at Promotion LA love working with all of our clients, especially those who defy norms in their industry. We know how hard it is to be different when everyone expects you to slide into your slot, fall in line, and never break out. That’s why we have such a passion for individuals and businesses that have daring and practice more than just the baseline. They’re willing to take risks and to stand out.

Want to get to work on marketing your business to stand out from the crowd, too?

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