Modern TMJ Surgery with Dr. Scotty Bolding

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In Part 2 of this powerful two-part series, Dr. Melissa Seibert sits back down with renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Scott Bolding, whose orthopedic-driven approach to TMJ diagnostics and surgery is reshaping how dentistry understands joint disease. If you’ve ever wondered why TMJ patients get “punted” from provider to provider, why MRI-based diagnosis never became mainstream, or how degenerative joint pathology silently derails orthodontic and restorative outcomes, this episode will fundamentally change the way you think.

Dr. Bolding unpacks the historical missteps that led to dentistry’s decades-long avoidance of TMJ surgery—from disastrous 1980s implant materials to insurance fallout and a profession-wide retreat from joint management. He explains how this cultural shift created clinical blind spots that we still see today, and why the message of “TMJ will get better if you leave it alone” has harmed diagnostic rigor for an entire generation of dentists.

Together, Dr. Seibert and Dr. Bolding explore:

• How ligament injury leads to disc displacement—and when that displacement becomes surgically relevant

• Why MRI and CBCT are indispensable tools for modern diagnosis (and what specific radiographic findings clinicians should never overlook)

• How unaddressed joint pathology contributes to tooth wear, occlusal collapse, postoperative symptoms, and even failed orthognathic cases

• The truth about total joint prostheses today—far removed from the failed biomaterials of the past—and why custom joints offer dramatic predictability for patients with severe degeneration

• The critical need for comprehensive dentists to reclaim TMJ literacy and function as quarterbacks—not bystanders—in interdisciplinary care

Dr. Bolding also describes the orthopedic model for surgical decision-making, clarifying when joints can be repaired, when they cannot, and how airway considerations should influence mandibular advancement in joint reconstruction. The conversation closes with a call to action for dentists everywhere: joint-aware dentistry isn’t optional—it’s foundational to predictable outcomes in restorative, orthodontic, and airway-driven treatment planning.

This is a masterclass in the contemporary philosophy of TMJ management—equal parts clinical insight, historical context, and future-forward thinking.