TMJ guru's

[drgoro]

SO a recent case has piqued my interest in doing some more TMJ stuff. What have you guys been hearing about the fellowships out there?

To the OG's (i.e guys in practice), do you see a practice built on surgical TMJ managment and otho sx as being viable in this economy?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Charmm]

WHY? TMJ patients are difficult to deal with, most of them have stress-related issues and dont seem happy with their treatments b/c after surgery they still have issues. A practice just based on tmj sounds rather scary to me. Good luck though

 

[whodatdoc]

i'm currently practicing in the Navy, and we have a CAPT who is a TMD specialist at the Naval Hospital... he provides palliative tx and also surgical interventions and his schedule is always booked out a month or two in advance (maybe because marines like to get jacked in the jaw on a regular basis - ha) - i could see a practice doing well if it were marketed with TMD at the focal point - not too many general guys want to deal with these patients and would readily refer...

 

[servitup]

To the OG's (i.e guys in practice), do you see a practice built on surgical TMJ managment and otho sx as being viable in this economy?

Still a resident but IMO the answer is yes, it is viable (depending on what "viable" means to you). I guarantee you could feed your family doing only those surgeries but you would likely make less money than the guy down the street focusing on dentoalveolar surgery. You would also need to be in a fairly sizeable city and one that doesn't already have an established "guru." Academics would also offer an avenue to focus on those surgeries and supplement your practice income with teaching income.

Also, I am guessing it is a lot easier to have a busy TMJ practice if you also practice non-surgical TMD management. Kinda like ENT's treating allergies to funnel patients for sinus surgeries, etc.

 

[drgoro]

Still a resident but IMO the answer is yes, it is viable (depending on what "viable" means to you). I guarantee you could feed your family doing only those surgeries but you would likely make less money than the guy down the street focusing on dentoalveolar surgery. You would also need to be in a fairly sizeable city and one that doesn't already have an established "guru." Academics would also offer an avenue to focus on those surgeries and supplement your practice income with teaching income.

Also, I am guessing it is a lot easier to have a busy TMJ practice if you also practice non-surgical TMD management. Kinda like ENT's treating allergies to funnel patients for sinus surgeries, etc.

Good thought....had a young girl come in the other day, immigrants; had an accident in their homeland, long story short got wired for MONTHS, ended up complete ankylosis on joints. We're working her up for b/l TJR

My question with regarding this being viable practice focused, is what is R & C fees for the more common procedures? obviously this family has no insurance, so we're trying to get this done under "teaching cases," but even so, from other attendings "..it's hell to get approval for TJR fr insurance Co's"

 

[servitup]

My PD does several total joints a year and he doesn't even participate with any insurance companies. He gets them approved because he is the only one around who does them. I think reimbursement is pretty crappy if you do participate though.