Unmet Medical Need: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is critical for dental occlusion, chewing, and speaking. TMJ osteoarthritis (OA) is a TMD subset that leads to cartilage destruction, pain, jaw dysfunction and compromises quality of life. Treatments for TMJ OA are two-fold extremes, involving either symptom management or invasive surgeries. There are no minimally invasive TMJ OA therapies that not only alleviates pain, but prevents disease and promotes regeneration.

Envisioned Healthcare Product: A minimally invasive, TMJOA regenerative therapy that alleviates pain, reduce inflammation, and restores function.

Stage of Development: Validation

Collaborative Research Team:  Mildred C. Embree, DMD, PhD and Alia Koch, DDS, MD

Funding Cycle: 2019-2020