Better oral health, better overall health

“We are uniquely placed in the dental school to be so close to experts from across the health-care spectrum. Nowhere else can you find top medical and dental schools along with all allied health disciplines and a robust research enterprise.”

What if eating or brushing your teeth was almost impossible because of severe jaw pain or restricted mobility? Left unattended, severe temporomandibular joint (those joining your lower jaw to your skull) disorders contribute to poor oral hygiene and health, tooth loss, malnutrition and other related but treatable maladies.

UNC’s School of Dentistry treats hundreds of patients annually for TMJ problems, and it’s where TMJ expert Dr. Shaun Matthews practices, teaches and conducts research. One of fewer than 100 global experts in this niche specialty, Matthews combines medical and oral health expertise to add breadth to the dental school’s curriculum and deliver life-saving treatments and surgeries to patients across the state and beyond.

Read the complete Carolina Story…

This is story number 187 in the Carolina Stories 225th Anniversary Edition magazine.

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