Hi Shelley,

The procedure of flushing the joint is called Arthrocentesis. I found a quick blurb on it from the mayo clinic site which gives a description and picture of the actual procedure. You have to enlarge the picture to see it. Here is the site: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tmj/treatment.html

Although this article states "minimally invasive", it is not to be thought of as a minor procedure. When comparing it to Arthroplasty (tmj surgery) it is minimal. But the pros and cons of the procedure should be discussed thoroughly before consenting to having it done.

Some questions to ask the dentist:

1)How many arthrocentesis have you performed?
2)How many of those were successful....to what degree and for how long?
3)How many of those patients went on to have tmj surgery?
4)How many of those surgery patients had successful results, to what degree and for how long?
5)Can arthrocentesis be done more than once? If so, how many times?
6)Does arthrocentesis cause any damage to any part of the joint, ligament, etc? What if it's done multiple times?
7)How long before I would notice a positive result?
8)Can this procedure worsen my tmj condition?
9)What solution do you use to inject into the joint to flush it out?
11)Do you also inject steroids into the joint?
12)If yes to steroids, what are the possible short and long term side effects... both positive and negative from using the steroids?
13)What anesthesia is used for sedation purposes....and why?

Shelley, are they positive of the diagnosis?

Bryanna