Our Services

TMJ / TMD Treatment

Headaches, pain, stiffness, soreness, cracking, and popping of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are very common symptoms among patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). These disorders are often caused from an abnormal bite or chronic clenching or grinding habits called bruxism. In the early stages, many patients are unaware of these habits because they occur during sleep.

Dr. V and Dr. Megan will help evaluate your TMJ and will also evaluate your teeth for signs of wear, cracks, or fractures. They may propose options for conservative management of TMD such as bite adjustments or biteguards to protect the teeth and relax the jaw. If symptoms persist, referral to a TMJ specialist may be needed.

For more information about bruxism and TMD from the ADA, click the PatientSmart box below.

ADA Patient Smart

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Dear Patients,

We sincerely hope you and your families are doing well and staying healthy. As you may know, our practice has been limited to treating only emergent and urgent dental needs during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your patience and flexibility through this has been greatly appreciated, and we are happy to inform you that we are now able to resume routine dental care.

We have always prioritized the health and safety of our patients and team by adhering to the universal precaution and infection control standards set by the CDC, OSHA, and the American Dental Association (ADA) and have recently completed a full-staff training seminar in COVID-19 specific infection control standards. Because we are now closely following and implementing their enhanced recommendations for safe care during the COVID-19 pandemic, please expect the following changes to your dental visit:

Our office will communicate with you via call or text before your appointment to ask some screening questions. You will be asked similar questions again when you are in the office for your appointment.
We ask for you to come in to your appointment alone and for your companion to stay in the car in order to minimize the amount of people in the office. Exceptions are made for one parent/guardian of a child or one caregiver for a patient needing special assistance.
We ask that you sanitize your hands and put on a mask prior to entering our suite (both provided).
Upon entry, we will check your temperature and have you fill out the required screening form.

You will also notice that our office and our team will look different:

To allow for proper social distancing, we have reduced the number of chairs in our waiting room.
We have removed magazines and toys.
We have installed plexiglass barriers at the front desk.
All team members will be wearing masks at all times and clinical staff may also wear face shields and gowns during the appointment.

Finally, we have implemented changes that you will not see but are happening in the background:

We have installed UV-C bulbs in our HVAC system, designed to provide medical grade treatment of bioaerosols and treat every cubic inch of air in our office every 12-15 minutes.
Upon arrival to work and at the end of the day, each team member will have their temperature taken and complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire.
We will frequently disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, bathroom fixtures, countertops, and chairs.
We will stay up to date on all CDC, OSHA, and ADA recommendations

While we realize the minor inconvenience these changes may cause, we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we strive to keep our community and ourselves healthy. We value the trust you place in us as your dental care provider, and look forward to seeing you again very soon. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us about any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Vassilis K Panagopoulos, D.D.S
Megan J. Panagopoulos, D.D.S.
Vista Family Dentistry