ABOUT
OVERVIEW - Dr. John Summer's research-based specialty dental practice has been limited to treatment of TMJ disorders and obstructive sleep apnea in downtown Portland Oregon for more than four decades. Compared to other TMJ clinics, we stand out for our innovations that include an understanding of the bite based on orthopedics and joint physiology, recognizing the roles of the bite and the airway passage in facial growth and the central role of facial growth in TMJ disorders, incorporating the mandible into the analysis and treatment of body posture, and new technologies for more effective oral appliance treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, including treatment for denture patients. We also stand out for our policy of transparency - everything we do is explained in detail on this website and in our handouts. We invite feedback, and we respond to all questions that are based on some understanding of the subject. The goal is to share information rather than sell a product or service.
RESEARCH - My research began in 1980, after working in a refugee camp for Vietnamese boat people, in an effort to learn why the tribal people in the extreme north of Thailand showed no evidence of the TMJ disorders and strained bites that were common in my patients back home. To find out why their jaws functioned so differently, I visited museums to study the craniofacial skeletons of our most recent ancestors from just before the mass industrialization of our food supply, including early American skulls in the Smithsonian museum. It quickly became obvious that the origins of TMJ disorders and these differences in craniofacial form between us and our recent ancestors are developmental. They are not found in infancy, they begin to appear during childhood, and they start causing symptoms after the pubertal growth spurt. I studied facial growth to understand how jawbones grow in response to bite forces, and how their growth deviates in response to irregular and asymmetrical bite forces, like those we generate today with our highly processed foods. The complete story behind these changes in the way our faces grow and the way they have profoundly impacted our health is explained in 5 chapters under the ETIOLOGY tab.
My subsequent research focused on treatment for TMJ disorders. First, it was the anatomy and physiology of the TMJ articular disks, the location and condition of which usually determines appropriate clinical treatment. Then it expanded to include the orthopedic mechanics needed to respond to the different TMJ conditions, such as inflammation, arthritis, and chronic muscle tightness. Most recently, it has been focused on developing and testing new and more effective oral appliance modalities to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY - We focus on root cause treatments. Understanding the pathophysiology behind these conditions enables us to treat them effectively and permanently. Applying orthopedic principles to the jawbones and TMJs enables us to provide effective symptomatic treatment, and incorporating mechanics to improve the facial growth pattern enables us to prevent the symptoms from returning. We offer a wide variety of orthopedic treatments to accommodate the wide variety of TMJ disorder types and the growth patterns ultimately responsible for them.
GENERAL DENTISTRY - We perform no general dentistry, therefore you need to have your own general dentist to be sure your gums and teeth are healthy. Inflamed teeth or gums can trigger the same type of reflex jaw muscle tightening that an inflamed TMJ or an unstable bite can trigger, so they may need to be ruled out as a possible cause of your symptoms. The only type of orthodontics we provide is functional orthodontics using removeable oral appliances that include orthopedic corrections.
COVID SAFETY - Our office is in a historic old building with windows that actually open. In addition to the normal precautions, we have fans blowing in one window and out the other, so we can maintain directional airflow if you are especially concerned about respiratory viruses.