Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Institute on the IUPUI campus! Perhaps the first of its kind in the United States, the TMJ Institute is a multidisciplinary, collaborative, clinic designed to support the treatment of patients with chronic or challenging dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint.
First pioneered in the United Kingdom by TMJ Institute Director Dr. Shaun Matthews, this novel concept in TMJ management includes professionals from multiple specialties, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, orofacial pain, orthodontics, prosthodontics, physical therapy, comprehensive care dentistry, clinical psychology, and social work. This diversity of expertise allows the Institute to offer a customized, interprofessional, collaborative approach to patient care. This "one-stop shop" for patients referred to the Institute with intractable TMJ symptoms creates a better understanding of a patient's highly individualized pathology, helping TMJ patients feel more valued and giving them a more active role in their own treatment planning process.
“Here at IUSD we have created a clinical model that is both innovative and unique,” Dr. Matthews said. “Our mission is to provide contemporary, collaborative care for all TMJ patients across Indiana and beyond, regardless of socio-economic or cultural background.”
The work of the TMJ Institute expands beyond direct patient care by engaging in high-quality, innovative research to ensure that treatments provided are current and evidence-based. These best practices and new developments in patient care then inform dental student learning and continuing education for dentists and other health care professionals at Indiana University and beyond.
“We are always looking to do better and to improve upon the research and practice that has gone before,” Dr. Matthews said. By all of us working together, as clinicians, specialists, educators, and patients -- that is how we are going to get there.”
Healthcare professionals can refer challenging TMJ cases to the Institute using this form: