TMJ Doctor in Canoga Park: Jaw, Facial Pain & Sleep Apnea Care

Canoga Park, California

Sleep Apnea and TMJ Dental Group serves Canoga Park from its office at Community Medical Center in neighboring West Hills, 23101 Sherman Pl, Suite 415. The practice is limited to the diagnosis and management of jaw and facial pain, headache with orofacial involvement, and sleep-related breathing disorders. It does not provide general dentistry.

Care is provided by Dr. Mohammad Masudian, DDS, MPH, who completed a CODA-accredited certificate program in orofacial pain at the University of Southern California, and is a Diplomate, American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.

When to See a TMJ Doctor

Many jaw symptoms settle on their own. An evaluation is worth arranging when symptoms persist, interfere with eating or sleep, or do not fit a dental explanation:

• Jaw pain or aching in front of the ear, especially with chewing
• Clicking or popping that has become painful, or a jaw that catches or locks
• Reduced mouth opening, or a jaw that deviates when opening
• Morning jaw or temple soreness, which can accompany clenching during sleep
• Facial or tooth pain for which a dentist has found no dental cause
• Headaches that occur alongside jaw or facial symptoms

Jaw Pain Has Several Distinct Causes

“TMJ” is commonly used for any jaw complaint, but temporomandibular disorders are a group of separate conditions. Identifying which one is present is what determines treatment:

Pain that is burning, electric, or shooting in quality may instead be neuropathic, and is assessed separately — see neuropathic facial pain.

What the First Visit Involves

The initial evaluation is diagnostic. It includes a structured history of the pain and any sleep complaints, an examination of the jaw muscles and joints using standardized diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders, and a review of prior imaging and records. Further imaging is requested only when the findings indicate it would change management.

Management is conservative and reversible before anything irreversible is considered. Depending on the diagnosis this may include an oral appliance, physical medicine, medication, or targeted injection therapy. The treatment pathway is described under TMD treatment.

Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician using a sleep study. For patients with a diagnosis, a custom oral appliance that holds the lower jaw forward is an established treatment, particularly for those who cannot tolerate CPAP. The practice coordinates with the diagnosing physician and confirms effectiveness with follow-up testing. See dental sleep medicine and CPAP intolerance.

Common Questions

Is TMJ treatment usually surgical?

No. Most temporomandibular disorders are managed without surgery. Surgical referral is reserved for specific joint conditions that have not responded to conservative care.

Does jaw clicking always need treatment?

Not necessarily. Clicking without pain or locking is common and often needs no treatment. Clicking that becomes painful, or a jaw that catches or locks, should be evaluated.

Can a dentist diagnose sleep apnea?

No. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician. A dentist trained in dental sleep medicine provides oral appliance therapy after that diagnosis and works with the physician on follow-up.

Why is my face hurting when my teeth are fine?

Facial pain without a dental cause frequently originates in the jaw muscles or joints, or in the nerves of the face. Identifying the source is the purpose of an orofacial pain evaluation.

Also Managed