Where does it hurt?
Two paths, one evaluation
Most patients come in through one of these doors. We check both regardless — because they're so often connected.
TMJ & Jaw Pain
Jaw pain or tightness, clicking and popping, headaches behind the eyes, earaches, worn or cracked teeth, locking when you open wide.
TMJ pain relief → 😴Sleep Apnea & Snoring
Loud snoring, gasping or choking at night, waking unrefreshed, daytime exhaustion, morning headaches, a CPAP you can't tolerate.
Sleep apnea treatment →Why we treat them together
Your jaw and your airway are the same system
When the airway narrows during sleep, the body does whatever it takes to reopen it. The jaw thrusts forward, the tongue muscles tense, and you clench. Night after night, that protective reflex wears the teeth flat, inflames the temporomandibular joint, and sends you to a dentist asking for something to stop the grinding.
Protecting the teeth alone can help them — but if the underlying problem is a breathing one, it doesn't fix why you're clenching, and in some cases the wrong appliance can make the airway worse. That's the reason we evaluate the joint and the airway in the same exam, and the reason a board credential in each field matters.
Signs the two are linked in your case: you wake with a sore jaw and a headache; your partner reports snoring or pauses in breathing; you grind despite low stress; you feel unrefreshed after a full night; you've worn a store-bought guard and the pain came back anyway.
What a full TMJ & airway evaluation covers
- Joint & muscle exam. Range of motion, clicking, tenderness, and how your bite actually meets.
- Wear pattern review. What your teeth reveal about how and when you clench.
- Airway & risk screening. Tongue position, tonsil size, neck measurement, and a validated sleep questionnaire.
- Imaging where indicated. To see the joint and the airway space rather than guess at them.
- A plan, in writing. Conservative options first, with costs and insurance spelled out before anything starts.
- Physician coordination. If a sleep study is needed, we arrange the referral — oral appliance therapy requires a medical diagnosis first.
Who treats you
Board-credentialed in both craniofacial pain and dental sleep medicine
Dr. Sunitha Sirivolu, DMD, FAGD, MAGD, DABCP, DABDSM, FAACP
Lead dentist · 22+ years in Palm Beach County
Dr. Sunitha Sirivolu holds a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and is both a Fellow and a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry — a mastership that fewer than two percent of general dentists in North America complete, requiring over 1,100 hours of continuing education and hands-on examination.
Her focus on the jaw and the airway is backed by board-level credentials in both fields: she is a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Pain, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain. Diplomate status is the highest recognition each board confers, earned through documented case work and written and oral examination — not attendance at a weekend course.
Holding diplomate status in both craniofacial pain and dental sleep medicine is uncommon, and it's the reason patients travel to this Royal Palm Beach office from Boca Raton to Jupiter for jaw pain and sleep breathing problems.
Credentials at a glance
- DMD — Doctor of Dental Medicine
- FAGD — Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry
- MAGD — Master, Academy of General Dentistry
- DABCP — Diplomate, American Board of Craniofacial Pain
- DABDSM — Diplomate, American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine
- FAACP — Fellow, American Academy of Craniofacial Pain
Our promise
Breathe. Sleep. Heal. Live.
Open the airway so you can breathe. Quiet the jaw so you can sleep. Give the body the rest it needs to heal. Get back the days you've been sleeping through, so you can live.
TMJ & Sleep FAQs
The questions patients ask first
What do TMJ pain and sleep apnea have to do with each other?
More than most people expect. When the airway narrows during sleep, the jaw and tongue muscles work harder to keep it open, and that strain frequently shows up as clenching, grinding, morning jaw pain, and headaches. Patients often arrive asking for something to stop the grinding and leave having discovered a breathing problem underneath. Because we evaluate the jaw joint and the airway together, we treat the cause rather than only the symptom.
What are Dr. Sirivolu's credentials in TMJ and sleep medicine?
Dr. Sunitha Sirivolu is a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), a Fellow and a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD, MAGD), a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Pain (DABCP), a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (DABDSM), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (FAACP). She has practiced for more than 22 years in Palm Beach County.
Do I need a sleep study before oral appliance therapy?
Yes. Oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea requires a diagnosis from a sleep physician, usually from a home sleep test or an in-lab study. We screen you for risk, coordinate the referral, and then design and fit the appliance once the diagnosis is in hand.
Is an oral appliance really an alternative to CPAP?
For many patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, yes — and it's also an option for patients with severe apnea who can't tolerate CPAP. A custom oral appliance holds the lower jaw slightly forward to keep the airway open. It's quiet, needs no power, and travels easily, which is why compliance is often much higher than with CPAP.
Will insurance cover TMJ or sleep apnea treatment?
They bill differently, which surprises most patients. Sleep apnea oral appliances are usually billed to your medical insurance rather than dental, and are frequently covered. TMJ orthotic appliances and bite therapy are often partially covered under dental plans. We verify both before treatment and give you a written estimate.
How far do patients travel to see you for TMJ and sleep care?
Because few dentists in the region hold board-level credentials in both craniofacial pain and dental sleep medicine, patients come to our Royal Palm Beach office from across Palm Beach County — Wellington, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton.
Keep reading
Go deeper on TMJ & jaw pain treatment or sleep apnea oral appliance therapy. Our blog covers what oral appliance therapy is actually like. Grinding has often already damaged teeth by the time patients come in — see dental crowns for restoring worn or cracked teeth. Or return to the homepage.