Dental Sleep Medicine Insider January 2016 | Page 30

Who’s HO W Dr. Tara Griffin Dr. Tara Griffin is a partner with Dr. Gy Yatros at Dental Sleep Solutions with offices in Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. She was in private practice as a comprehensive restorative/TMD dentist in her home state of Illinois for several years in which she successfully integrated Dental Sleep Medicine. Over the past three years, she has limited her practice to dental sleep medicine and management of TMD. She holds professional memberships in the AADSM, AAOP, AASM, AHS, AAPM, and the ADA. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Brandie: What prompted you to focus exclusively on DSM & TMD? Dr. Griffin: Basically, my passion for helping people and improving quality of life. It is astonishing how many people suffer from headaches, face, neck and back pain, or dizziness without ever really knowing the cause of their pain. Patients try seeking a medical cure for their discomfort. Unfortunately, after years of unsuccessful treatment they learn to live with pain, often with the aid of medications. My own experience with a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) allows me to empathize with patients, not only through the pain they’re experiencing but also with the frustration they feel when previous treatments have failed to bring them relief. Brandie: Tell me about the transition from GP to your focus on DSM & TMD. Dr. Griffin: While at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, I met Dr. Jeff Okeson who gave me my first real introduction into the world of orofacial pain. During my GPR at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Virginia, I was trained to manage medically and psychologically compromised patients. I completed courses through the Dawson Academy and Pankey Institute and joined organizations such as the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and American Equilibration Society. “My own experience with a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) allows me to empathize with patients, not only through the pain they’re experiencing but also with the frustration they feel when previous treatments have failed to bring them relief.” I made my share of nightguards over the years and then started asking these patients about snoring. This peaked my interest even more and made me think there’s got to be more to this; I completed training in dental sleep medicine, including a TMJ/airway dissection course. My passion for providing TMD and OSA treatment was ignited!