Dr. Dennis K. Barker received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from
the University of Michigan in 1966. After graduation he served his
country in the U.S. Navy at Camp Pendleton, California. He and his wife
Kay moved to San Clemente where they still reside and have raised two
daughterrs, Kristen and Jennifer. They now have six grandchildren all
living in the area.
In 1973 he and a partner built a Medical -
Dental complex in a new and growing community called Laguna Niguel where
he has practiced since. He now practices with Dr. Mae Lee Springer in
Laguna Niguel and Dr. Jeff Barrera at Arbours Dentistry in Rancho Santa
Margarita. Dr. Barker
became involved in an Institute for advanced dental education in Key
Biscayne, Florida called the Pankey Institute and after completing the
courses was asked to join the visiting faculty where he taught dentists
from all over the world for 25 years. He was also fortunate to be able
to study under another dental Icon, Dr. Peter Dawson.
During this
time he became more and more aware that occlusion, (the way the teeth
come together) was not well understood by dentists as well as the dental
schools. Through his involvement with the Institute and Dr. Dawson,
Dr. Barker began to focus his practice on correcting faulty occlusions
and helping relieve patients of the crippling pain they were
experiencing. In 1995 he began limiting his practice to the treatment
of Temporomandibular Disorders. Dr. Barker has lectured nationally and
internationally and has published a paper entitled Occlusal
Interferences and Temporomandibular Dysfunction in the Academy of
General Dentistry Journal.
What is TMJ?
Dr. Barker
Over 20 million people have suffered from this malady
and the causes and treatment of it have been debated by dentists for
many years, creating a great deal of confusion for dentists as well as
patients. Many suffer from it without ever finding a solution or find
that the treatment is so expensive that it becomes prohibitive to
proceed.
While the causes of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) or
(TMJ) as it is often referred to are multi-factorial, there are
definitive ways to treat the disorder in a cost effective and usually
non-invasive way. With Cone Beam Computed Tomography it is possible to
create images of the TM joint that are 3-dimensional and allow for a
much more definitive diagnosis and prognosis for treatment.
Even when
all the information is gathered and a definite diagnosis is made Dr.
Barker’s first phase of treatment is always reversible. This means no
permanent changes are performed on the patient until the symptoms are
alleviated and the patient is comfortable. If the pain and symptoms
disappear in Phase One then the course of treatment can be determined
for Phase Two to duplicate the conditions created in Phase One.
Call for a Consultation
We are proud of our results treating patients in pain with this disorder, often in just 2-3 visits.
Call today for your free TMJ evaluation. 949.495.4600.
Dr. Barker