August is upon us. August is classically our hottest month of the year. Temperatures will soar in the area and there’s always the chance of a major storm or hurricane later in the month. As Houstonians, we’re used to these weather events and prepare for them well in advance. Word of caution to our TMJ and headache patients: be aware of changes in barometric pressure with the storms as they come through. The change in barometric pressure can bring about pain and discomfort in he jaw joint and jaw muscles so intense that you may not have experienced these symptoms before. Rest assured that they are within normal limits and to be expected. If you have concerns or questions, please feel free to contact our office for advice.
August is a special month for the Auvenshine family. My wedding anniversary is August 4th. This year, Linda and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage. We plan to celebrate very quietly and in our usual tradition. We are not planning a large party but we will spend time with friends and family. I want to thank my lovely wife for 50 years of love, kindness, and attention. She has literally stayed by my side through many difficult and wonderful times. She is an outstanding helpmate and I cannot imagine my life without her.
August is also a birthday month for us! Linda’s birthday is on August 10th and my son, Chris’ on August 11th. This year for Linda’s birthday, she and I will travel to West Palm Beach for a long weekend. We have never been to West Palm Beach, so we are excited about exploring new venues. It is our hope that in the next few years, we will be able to do more traveling. With Dr. Pettit as a major partner at MedCenter TMJ, I now have more
freedom to enjoy things that Linda and I have postponed until now.
Later in August I will again travel to New Orleans to lecture at LSU School of Dentistry Pain Continuum. The lecture for this session will be on Radiologic Anatomy. The purpose of this course is to train doctors who wish to incorporate TMD treatment into their practice, how to read Cone Beam CT scans accurately, and to coordinate basic anatomical
structures to radiological scans.
As I have written before, the Pain Continuum at LSUSD is a series of five weekend lectures over a period of a year. I have the privilege of being a visiting professor in the Continuum and lecturing in three of the five sessions.
It’s really interesting that time moves so quickly that now we begin planning for the fourth quarter of 2017. This year has flown by quickly and has allowed us many opportunities for meeting and treating new patients as well as maintaining those of you who have been loyal patients for many years.
My heart and my soul are dedicated to this practice. I will continue to actively pursue learning, research, and teaching so that I can provide not only the best service to you but also to the profession of dentistry, as we grow with new participants in the field of TMD and Orofacial Pain. You are our greatest asset and we will continue to strive to provide
you the very best care in this country.
Sincerely,
Ronald C. Auvenshine, DDS, PhD
Diplomate, American Board of Orofacial Pain