Digging Deeper into the Treatment of TMJ

Half a year ago, I discovered a painful popping and clicking as I opened and closed my mouth, followed by ringing in the ears. A visit to my doctor, my orthodontist, and Google have shown me that I have a condition called TMJ, AKA TMD, AKA temporomandibular joint disorder. In simplest terms, it's the dysfunction between the muscles that move the jaw and the joints that connect the mandible to the skull.

Over the course of the school year, my research has brought me to scholarly articles on the disorder, as well of its common origin and the best treatment options.

At this point it is unclear to me whether or not TMJ is caused by orthodontic braces or is even connected to orthodontic treatment. I am also on the hunt for successful non-surgical remedies, but there isn't much luck narrowing that down, either. I feel that finding a solid fix for TMJ will be very helpful in finding more answers to my essential question: What is the most important factor an orthodontist must consider when treating a patient?

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

I am most proud of my information and just the PowerPoint as a whole because I think it really came together. On top of that, the class let me know that my presentation was in fact fairly informative and that I seemed to understand my content.

2. a) What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

I would give myself a P.

    b) Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I believe I filled all requirements for "P" consideration, made sure to engage my audience when I spoke, used my time effectively, had a decent PowerPoint, and applied my research well.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

My PowerPoint and visual aid overall was good, in my opinion. Also I feel like my information was presented well.

4. What didn't work? What would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

The main problem I had today that I would fix if I knew how is my shakiness. I came off as nervous to the class so some parts of my presentation may have been difficult to understand. Also, my peers tell me I should work on my activity and create a better one so I would definitely fix that.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

My answer two will probably involve either patient compliance or practice setting.

Blog 12: Mentorship Hours

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?

I am doing my mentorship at the office of Dr. Dan Banh DDS.

2. Who is your contact?

My contact is Irene (whose last name I always forget). She is the office manager and works the front desk. She can be contacted at the office phone number: (626) 339-5111.

3. How many total hours have you done?

As shown on my Senior Project Hours Log, I have completed 43 hours over the summer (with a different mentor for a different topic), 25 hours of mentorship, and 28 hours for my Independent component. The sum of those hours is 96 hours, but with my current mentor I completed 53 hours.

4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

The hours I completed since the school year began have consisted of filing, shadowing, and seeing what goes on away from the patient's chair. There were many opportunities to see all sorts of orthodontic appliances, as well as the process of attaching, wearing, and removing braces. My time at my mentorship has taught me that there is much more to orthodontics than what I had originally thought and I have so much more to learn.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?

The break gave me a chance to do more research on my topic, as well as look further into orthodontics as a career. Sadly, I was very limited on my research sources because my primary database -- ProQuest -- has been down for a while.

2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?

My work over the break has taught me that I need a new approach with my research. The source of this knowledge was my previous research and similar results coming up when I looked for new articles. I know there is more fresh research available, but I just need the right keywords to find them.

3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I think I might ask an orthodontist other than my current mentor in order to gain a different perspective on orthodontics and my essential question. My final answers will be more complete after speaking with multiple practicing professionals in the field.