NOVA Orofacial Pain, TMD & Dental Sleep Medicine

New Patient

Information for New Patients

Welcome to Nova Facial Pain! Here, you and your entire family can get high-quality, medical and customer service experience. At our practice, you will be dealing with the topnotch specialized doctors in TMJ, facial pain and sleep apnea treatment. We’re always happy to accept new patients, so if you’re thinking about coming to see us, please take a moment to read through the helpful information below.  Afterward, if you have any questions, just give us a call and ask! We can’t wait to meet you and give you plenty of reasons to smile!

Please make sure to fill in the new patient forms, print and bring them with you in your first visit.

TMJ

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.

The exact cause of a person’s TMJ disorder is often difficult to determine. Your pain may be due to a combination of factors, such as genetics, arthritis or jaw injury. Some people who have jaw pain also tend to clench or grind their teeth, although many people habitually clench or grind their teeth and never develop TMJ disorders.

In most cases, the pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders is temporary and can be relieved with self-managed care or nonsurgical treatments. Surgery is typically a last resort after conservative measures have failed, but some people with TMJ disorders may benefit from surgical treatments.

Facial Pain

Facial pain is pain felt in any part of the face, including the mouth and eyes. Although it’s normally due to an injury or a headache, facial pain may also be the result of a serious medical condition.

Most causes of facial pain are harmless. However, if you have facial pain that seems to come without any known cause, call your doctor for an evaluation.

The exact type of pain you feel will depend on the cause. A dull, throbbing pain on one side of your face or around your mouth is generally due to problems within the mouth, such as a toothache, cavity, or abscess. If you experience this type of pain, contact your dentist.

The pain associated with sinusitis feels like pressure or an aching pain across the front of the cheekbones and underneath the eyes. Abscesses and ulcers will often throb at the site of the sore. Headaches and injuries can feel like a stabbing sensation or can throb and ache.

Because there are many causes of facial pain, talk to your doctor if you experience pain that’s unexplainable or unbearable.

Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that happens when your breathing stops and starts while you slumber. If it goes untreated, it can cause loud snoring, daytime tiredness, or more serious problems like heart trouble or high blood pressure.

This condition is different from regular, or primary, snoring. Primary snoring can be caused by nose or throat conditions, sleep style (especially back sleeping), being overweight or of an older age, or the use of alcohol or other depressants. While primary snoring and sleep apnea-related snoring both happen when the tissues in the back of your throat vibrate, people with sleep apnea tend to:

  • Snore much louder than those with regular snoring
  • Pause while they breathe (for over 10 seconds)
  • Take shallow breaths, gasp, or choke
  • Be restless

New Patient Forms

We are honored to have you as a patient at our practice. If you are a new patient, please fill and print the below forms. Make sure to bring them with you on your coming visit. 
If you have any question, please contact us at: (703) 389-0111
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