What is TMJ?

Technically it's the Temporomandibular Joint, and everybody has two. But it is often referred to as a problem, as in "I have TMJ", meaning i have a problem in the jaw joint. You may start to see problems in the joint referred to as TMD, or Temporomandibular Dysfunction.
There are many causes of TMD, only some of which are dentally related.  Other causes include injury from sports accidents and cervical spine alignment issues, often better treated with chiropractic or physical therapy.
Dental causes can often be helped with splint therapy (a mouth guard type device that must be carefully adjusted for your bite) or adjustment of the bite itself. Severe cases may involve surgery of the joint.
Diagnosis by your Dentist is most important.

Why can't I just get a cleaning?

Many people wonder why they can't just call to get their teeth cleaned without paying for a doctor exam as well. First of all it's in your best interest to have your teeth examined because even severe dental problems may not hurt and treating them early is easier, and less costly, than treating them later.
But until recently it was against the law to have any work done, including a cleaning, without diagnosis by a dentist. Maine has passed a new law, Independent Practice of Dental Hygiene, allowing certain hygienist to clean teeth without the oversight of a dentist. However, they cannot diagnose problems and must report any obvious findings to your dentist, but without the benefit of x-rays to tell how serious a problem you might have.

Gum Disease and Diabetes

Can gum disease affect diabetes? Can diabetes affect gum disease? The answer to both questions is YES!
Diabetics have greater difficulty healing wounds than healthy individuals. Gum disease is like a wound of the gum tissues (that's why gums bleed!) So diabetics are at greater risk of gum tissues not healing and therefore allowing more bacteria into the blood stream which can complicate other problems for which diabetics are at risk such as heart disease and stroke.
On the other hand, gum disease is a risk factor for the development of type II diabetics (also known as adult onset diabetes). By diagnosing and treating your gum disease early, your risk for developing diabetes might be lowered, saving you from years of diabetes problems.

Retiring soon? Think of your dental future.

One of the things i see all the time is someone putting off their dental needs only to retire, have a tooth break and not be able to fix it because they are now on a fixed income and don't have the money to pay for what they could have afforded to do only a few years ago.
So do you have large fillings in your teeth that your dentist advised you should be crowned someday? My advice is to approach retirement because those large fillings don't last forever (does anything?) and when a tooth breaks it is seldom another filling. It may mean root canal treatment, internal buildup and crown which is a lot more than it would have cost to fix it when discovered earlier.
Putting off your dental treatment always costs more. Can you afford it after you retire?

Can a dental visit save your life?

Possibly. New medical research has shown a direct link between the bacteria that cause gum disease and the inflammation found in clogged arteries leading to heart disease. So by finding out if you have gum disease (and 75-80% of the adult population does) and then treating it, you can lower one of the risk factors for heart attack.

Even if you don't have many of the better known risk factors, like obesity and smoking, having gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) can still leave you at risk. Even a history of heart disease in your family puts you at greater risk of gum disease affecting your overall health.

Do I save that tooth?

How do you decide when to save a tooth or have it pulled?

From a Dental Health standpoint it's always better to to save a tooth if you can. But for many it comes down to cost. Pulling a tooth might cost $150-$200 while saving a tooth that may need root canal treatment and a crown (cap) could be $1500-$2000.
But wait, is $200 the only cost of pulling a tooth? If you don't replace the tooth, teeth can shift and collapse the bite, (think of a fence collapsing when a post goes missing). This can result in TMJ problems, possible need for braces and restoration of the lost space (cost $3000-$5000+).
What if you replace the lost tooth right away? you could place a bridge ($2500-$3000), an implant ($2500-$3000), or a removable partial denture ($500-1500 depending on how it is made) That will often need several replacements over a lifetime.
So before you "Just pull it" because its cheaper, think again.

Does FEAR keep you from going to the dentist?

As you may be aware, many patients in need of dental treatment stay away because of fear.  These patients often wait until something hurts and go to the dentist in crisis. These appointments are often uncomfortable and increase the patients fear of dental treatment.  Many teeth that could have been saved with early intervention are needlessly lost due to avoidance of treatment by the fearful patient. 
With new evidence supporting the role of poor dental health in cardiovasular disease, lower birth weight babies and cerebral vascular accidents, it is a concern that so many high fear patients are not receiving the dental care they need. If you are a adult patient who:
1. Break appointments do to fear
2. Cannot get numb
3. Are needle phobic
4. Have a high gag reflex
5. Have had traumatic dental experience
6. Have very sensitive teeth
7. Simply dont have time.
Then we invite you to consider "Totally Relaxed Dentistry".  We will use an oral sedative and complete your general dentistry needs while they are sedated. This is not IV sedation and does not render the patient unconscious or unresponsive. It is simply a way of sedating the patient in such a way that allows them to be completely comfortable through their dental visits and have a pleasant experience.
As an active member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, I have been specially trained in the safe and effective use of oral sedation for adult patients. Our practice is dedicated to successfully treating these highly challenging patients. Many of these adults have lost all hope of treatment by our profession. Many complex multiple visit procedures are completed in as little as one visit.  So its also possible for the busy professional to reduce the number of visits necessary to achieve optimal oral health.