Keith Hollinger is a General Dentist in Glastonbury with 16 years of experience. He works at a private practice and accepts multiple health insurance plans. Dr. Keith Hollinger earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and received his dental degree from Tufts University. He enjoys helping his patients improve their health and lives, especially when it involves addressing sleep apnea. Outside of the office, he enjoys shredding on his guitar, hiking up a mountain, zipping around in go-karts and savoring a glass of old-vine Zinfandel. He believes in being open and honest with his patients and strives to educate them about their oral health and treatment options.
He employs experiential learning as a central teaching and learning mode in his classes. His students really get into the simulations, staying after class to play. They naturally make connections to the textbook material and create their own unplanned lessons.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the specialist branch of dentistry concerned with diagnosing and treating malocclusions (improper positioning of teeth or jaws) to help you have a healthier, more beautiful smile. It also helps to prevent future problems such as difficulty chewing, gum disease, and tooth decay.
Orthodontic treatment is typically performed on adolescents and teenagers, but adults can receive treatment at any age. In fact, around 30 percent of orthodontic patients are adults.
TMJ Therapy
TMJ problems are complicated and require a team of professionals to treat. After a thorough evaluation Drs. Ghaffarpour, Dakermanji or Yarborough will determine the proper course of treatment for your TMJ disorder. Initially our goal is to relieve muscle spasm and joint pain with medication. This is accomplished with either an anti-inflammatory or a pain reliever. These medications help to increase oxygen flow to the muscles which decreases cellular waste buildup and reduces inflammation.
A physical therapist will use hands-on treatments to mobilize your soft tissue to relax the jaw and facial muscles as well as improve jaw movement. Therapeutic massage can also help to release trigger points and improve blood circulation which will also alleviate inflammation.
Other techniques may include wearing a night splint to stop chronic clenching and grinding of the teeth (bruxism) which can cause TMD by increasing wear and tear on your teeth. Stress management or counseling can also be helpful in controlling this involuntary behavior. Arthrocentesis is a procedure where a needle is inserted into the jaw joint to remove scar-like tissue (adhesions) and to flush out the joint which can aid in improving pain relief and mouth opening.
Sleep Medicine
The medical field is starting to realize just how important high-quality sleep is to our health. Sleep disorders, if left untreated, can cause a variety of problems, from irritability and low job performance to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and injuries.
A physician who specializes in sleep medicine can treat conditions such as snoring, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy. They can also prescribe medications or medical devices that may help you sleep better.
Physician specialists in sleep medicine can be found in many medical fields, including pulmonology, neurology, psychiatry and otolaryngology. They are often referred to as somnologists and have undergone additional training in the field of sleep disorders. They can also refer patients to sleep psychologists for cognitive behavioral therapy, and dentists who create oral appliances that are used in treatment of sleep apnea. Read more about this specialty in AMA Wire’s “Shadow Me Specialty Series,” which profiles physicians in a variety of medical specialties (log in required)..
Orofacial Pain
The specialty of orofacial pain (OFP) deals with the prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders associated with the temporomandibular joint and the intraoral soft tissues. These disorders include odontogenic, neuropathic and neurovascular pains as well as headaches.
Each disorder has a different pain pattern and response to treatment. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is essential to determine whether the best course of treatment is dentally oriented or medically oriented or in many cases a combination of both.
These conditions can be caused by a wide variety of reasons ranging from teeth grinding or clenching to sleep related breathing issues like snoring and sleep apnea to trauma, etc. These conditions can cause not only severe jaw pain but also ear problems, headaches and neck pain. This is why our dentists work closely with neurologists, otolaryngologists and physical therapists to help our patients find relief from their discomfort. It is our goal to drastically improve these patients’ lives so they can enjoy their everyday activities again.