How Headache and Migraine Center of Kinnelon Came About
A personal note from Dr. Logan
I graduated dental school in 1975. At that time, my younger sister, Debbie, suffered from recurrent migraines, and she would lose about one week of each month due to these debilitating headaches (usually timed with her menstrual cycle). I suspected some relationship between her headaches and the fact that she had lost several teeth early in life and had a grinding problem. Unfortunately, in the 1970s and 1980s, most dental schools did not include TMJ, craniomandibular or craniocervical problems in their curriculum. In large part because I was interested in helping to improve my sister’s quality of life, I took multiple courses over the years, but none gave a comprehensive view of the range of issues and factors contributing to these problems, and there was much disagreement within the profession.
In 1993, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey offered one of the first comprehensive, year-long courses on the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ and craniomandibular problems, featuring both didactic and clinical treatment of patients. A year later, I was credentialed in the diagnosis and treatment of craniomandibular disorders, having broadened my scope of knowledge and hands-on experience. As I successfully treated patients, my practice grew, but my understanding of the comorbidities (the presence of one or more additional disorders co-occuring with a primary disorder, requiring more complex medical management) associated with TMJ, craniomandibular and craniocervical issues still felt somehow incomplete and my search for answers continued. That changed in 2007, when I attended a course in neuromuscular dentistry, which I soon found to be the avenue that would fill in many of the blanks.
For three years, I completed a comprehensive course of study, as well as hands-on training, ultimately earning fellowship status in neuromuscular aesthetic dentistry from the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, the premier institution for this type of work. In 2015, we added another piece to this complex mosaic: the Tru Denta protocol, a comprehensive system that evaluates and treats dentomandibular sensorimotor dysfunction by combining the latest advances in elite sports medicine rehabilitation with computerized management of neuromuscular dental force imbalances for the treatment of headaches and migraines.
Unfortunately, Debbie passed away at a young age before I was able to help her. The path she focused me on led to the Headache an Migraine Center of Kinnelon. To this day, the greatest joy I experience as a dental professional is helping patients who suffer from headaches, migraine, facial pain or TMJ issues. I close my eyes and feel like I’m getting a hug from Debbie.
