Diagnosing and treating TMD - basic management skills for Dentists - an evening lecture by Dr Basil Al-Amleh

Unfortunately most dentists do not feel prepared or confident in diagnosing or treating patients with TMDs. The aim of this lecture is to resolve some TMD confusion, provide basic management skills, highlight the various known aetiologies, as well as what dental professionals are equipped to manage and what must be referred out in order to achieve success. 

You will learn the following outcomes:

• Why most clicking joints do not need treatment.
• What are the various aetiologies that cause TMDs. 
• How to diagnose joint pain vs muscles pain patients, plus when and why symptoms sometimes overlap. 
• Why there is a strong association between Psychosocial factors and chronic TMDs, and how they hamper success in our treatment protocols due to their noxious effects on the entire nervous system. 
• What are the relevant joint anatomical structures in the joint derangement continuum. 
• The concept of “adapted” centric relation in degenerative joints, and how it is determined via CBCT and MRI.
• How to step by step explain to your patients their individual TMD condition and needed interventions using a “Patient TMD Checklist”, and how to improve their compliance with treatment. 
• How to use a basic TMD diagnosis flowchart. 
• How the concept of Physical Self-Regulation home care is reported to be a powerful tool, and a copy of a “Patient information Pack” will also be provided for you to use the next day in your clinic. 

Finally, five clinical TMD cases will be presented and discussed to demonstrate the difference in management between joint and muscular disorders. 

About our speaker:  Basil Al-Amleh BDS(Otago), DClinDent(Pros), MRACDS(Pros)

Basil graduated with his BDS from Otago in 2001. After working for a couple of years as a general dentist in Queensland, he then worked in Auckland for several years before returning to Otago to complete his Clinical Doctorate in Prosthodontics in 2011. Following this he took up the position of Senior Lecturer in Dental Biomaterials Science at Otago, tutoring and supervising both undergraduates and postgraduate students in Prosthodontics and biomaterials. He also supervised Clinical Doctorate, PhD and masters candidates. His thesis and research interests were focused on dental ceramics failure and fractography. He authored and co-authored a number of research publications, as well as a chapter in the implants textbook “Fundamentals of Implant Dentistry, Vol2: Surgical Principles” on zirconia implants. 

Since late 2015, he has been working for the National Guard in Saudi Arabia as a Consultant Prosthodontist. Being the only prosthodontists at a department of 23 clinicians that is game to see TMD cases, Basil currently receives all TMD patient referrals. He is experienced in successfully managing rehab cases for patients that suffer from various TMDs via fixed and removable prostheses. Basil is passionate about training and education. So more recently, he has put together a basics TMD training programme for the general dentists at the department he works at, in order to reduce the number of unnecessary referrals he receives, especially straightforward TMD cases. 

This evening lecture will be held in the Members Lounge at Remuera Golf Club, 120 Abbotts Way, Remuera - 6.30pm for light refreshment with a 7pm lecture start.