SoCal TMJ & Headache — Los Angeles
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End the Referral Loop.
The TMD Diagnosis That Should Have Come First.
If you have already been through dentists, endodontists, neurologists, ENTs, and pain clinics — and you still do not have a confirmed diagnosis — the issue is not the quality of those providers. Each was operating within their specialized scope. What was missing: someone whose only job is finding the answer.
The Diagnostic Gap
The Journey. And Why It Fails.
The General Dentist
Pain presents in the jaw or face. Dental examination shows no caries or periapical issues. Patient is told “nothing is wrong” or given a nightguard.
Result: Symptomatic relief. No diagnosis.
The Specialist Referral Chain
Endodontist rules out pulpal issues. ENT examination is normal. Neurologist orders an MRI — results are unremarkable. Pain management prescribes gabapentin or carbamazepine without confirming the diagnosis.
Result: Serial consultations. Fragmented data. No unified diagnosis.
The Intervention Cascade
Multiple occlusal splints are fabricated. Physical therapy provides temporary relief. Botox injections are attempted. The patient accumulates treatments while the underlying condition remains unidentified.
Result: Escalating interventions without diagnostic convergence.
The Diagnostic Resolution
A Board Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist performs a comprehensive diagnosis using DC/TMD criteria, on-site CBCT imaging, and quantitative sensory testing. The answer is identified. Treatment is directed at the confirmed source.
Result: Answer found. Targeted intervention. A treatment plan built on data.
Specialized Scope
The Right Clinician for the Right Diagnostic Layer.
Orofacial pain occupies a diagnostic space that no single discipline fully covers. Each provider in the chain represents an essential layer — structural, neurological, surgical. What was missing: one clinician whose only job is to figure out what is actually driving your pain.
Dr. Chung provides that integration. Using ICOP criteria, quantitative sensory testing, and on-site CBCT imaging, this practice identifies whether your pain is driven by your joint, your nerve, your muscles, or something else entirely.
General Dentist
Structural & Dental Health
Ensures the integrity of teeth, periodontal tissues, and occlusion. The primary lens for dental and oral structural evaluation.
Neurologist
Systemic Neurological Health
Evaluates the central and peripheral nervous system. Identifies systemic neurological conditions — MS, tumor, neurovascular compression.
Oral Surgeon
Structural Surgical Intervention
Manages hard-tissue and surgical conditions of the jaw, condyles, and craniofacial skeleton. The primary lens for surgical intervention.
Orofacial Pain Specialist
Diagnostic Integration
Bridges dentistry and neurology — finds the answer using on-site CBCT imaging, nerve mapping, and international diagnostic criteria. Routes treatment to the confirmed source.
Objective Diagnostic Data
The Technology That Replaces Guesswork.
On-site CBCT imaging provides immediate, high-resolution 3D craniofacial evaluation — eliminating the delay and fragmentation of external imaging referrals. This is not a screening tool. It is a diagnostic instrument that reveals the structural reality of the temporomandibular joints, airway, and craniofacial skeleton.
On-Site CBCT Imaging
- High-resolution 3D visualization of the TMJ condyles, articular eminence, and joint space
- Detection of osseous changes, degenerative joint disease, and condylar morphology abnormalities
- Immediate results on the day of your consultation — no external referral, no waiting period
- Eliminates the delay and fragmentation of ordering imaging through third-party facilities
ICOP Diagnostic Framework
- International Classification of Orofacial Pain — the standardized diagnostic framework adopted worldwide
- Classifies pain as musculoskeletal (TMD), neuropathic (nerve-related), neurovascular (migraine/cluster), or idiopathic
- Every diagnosis is mapped to an evidence-based treatment pathway
- Prevents the “diagnostic drift” that occurs when clinicians use inconsistent terminology
Your Specialist
Dr. Sang H. Chung, DMD
Board Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist. Fellowship-level training at the University of Southern California. Every patient who enters this office is evaluated with the same rigor: diagnosis first, treatment second.
Break the Cycle
Stop Treating Symptoms. Find the Cause.
If you have been through three or more providers without a confirmed diagnosis, another opinion from the same type of clinician will produce the same result. What you need is a diagnosis — not another treatment. Request a diagnostic consultation. Your prior imaging, treatment history, and provider notes will be reviewed at your first visit.
Prefer to call? (323) 238-9134