Can anyone give me the name of the Dr in Florida that you guys have been talking about or his Facebook page?

Poochie his name is Dr. Mark Piper and he is in St. Petersburg Florida. Best money I've ever spent seeing him

To Floridakris, I am reading everything I can get my hands on since my visit with Dr. Piper. I have had TMJ issues for over 25 yrs, and just figured it was part of my make-up. It has gotten so bad over the past year, I did the full work up with him a couple of weeks ago. In my opinion he seemed like the guru of TMJ. Incredibly knowledgable. However I came away very frustrated. Both discs are gone, there is bone on bone on both sides, a benign tumor growing on one side. The surgery sounds absolutely horrific. Move to St. Pete for 2 weeks, have your mouth wired shut for 9 months. I just can't seem to find anyone in this world that has had this done before. I am wearing my splint 24 hours a day now to avoid causing more pain. I know there are people out there with worst cases, but my jaw that most people take for granted is really screwed up and I just don't know where to turn. Oh did I mention, nothing is covered under insurance?
by the way, thank you for all the helpful links, I have read all of them. I just want to fix this so I can have a semi normal rest of my life.

Hi, I would like to warn people about Dr. Piper in Florida. He asks for 15,000 dollars just for a consult and then he demands 50,000 upfront for surgery. He does not accept any insurance plans and does not offer a payment plan. It really appears to me that he is more interested in making alot of money then helping people who are in pain. 15,000 dollars for a one day consult? Are you kidding me? Tread very lightly

Laura what do you mean he asks $15,000 for a consult?? Have you called and asked specifically about his consult. My consult was not $15,000 with him. As for the surgery-him asking for payment up front is more typical than you probably realize in the TMJ community-it is happening becauuse of insurance companies, not because of the doctors. Sadly a lot of the doctors within the TMJ community have experienced serious issues with insurance coverage-to the point that insurance companies will pre-approve/certify a surgery and then after the surgery is done and the doctor files, the insurance company will deny it and not pay. I have also talked with patients before who's insurance company paid and then came back and made the doctor pay back what they had been paid by insurance because they decided after the surgery to NOT cover it. Then the doctor is left trying to get payment from the patient themselves. I'm sorry but this is NOT entirely doctors faults-they have bills to pay too and when insurance companies continuously screw people over like this it leaves doctors no choice but to then charge up front and not deal with insurance companies. I have been around the TMJ community and seen multiple doctors for my joint related TMJ-I have only found ONE who was in-network and that doctor worked for a teaching hospital university. Another doctor that I actually consulted as my second opinion-he took my insurance but made me pay up front and then reimbursed me anything that my insurance had paid over. This is an INSURANCE problem-not a doctor problem

Also, just found out from a TMJ friend-Dr. Pipers consult fee is $2,000 and that INCLUDES an MRI. I saw Dr. Piper in 2012-his fee was $1800 but that did not include an MRI. His consult was hands down the best money I've ever spent

floridakris, looking at your posts I have to believe that you are in some way associated with Dr. Piper and not just as a patient. It is absolutely absurd to ask someone to pay 50,000 dollars up front for surgery. What this says to me is if you have the financial means, then I can help you with your pain. If you don't then that is just to bad for you. I am going to mayo clinic. They accept my insurance and appear to have more interest in helping patients then collecting as much money as possible. Also on a side note, my gallbladder and biopsy did not cost 50,000 dollars.

Laura I am not affiliated in any way with the Piper clinic-I saw Dr. Piper as a patient only. BUT I have been around the TMJ world for more than 5yrs and I also help run an advocacy page for TMJ, I've talked with thousands of patients about TMJ and the biggest issues are with insurance. I have talked with patients who's insurance has pre-approved and PAID for the surgery, only to come back 3,4,5,6 months later and require the doctor to repay them back because it wasn't technically covered. You might be at the Mayo clinic but again, it's a teaching facility, so my previous posts were spot on.......all of the doctors I've come across dealing with TMJ at teaching hospitals are normally in-network for providers. You need to do more research before accusing me, because I live this condition every single day and I deal with the insurance aspects of it. As a matter of fact I had to fight my insurance this year to find a doctor in my new location and my insurance sent me to 4 people who all said they were unqualified to treat the severity of my condition. I live with two displaced discs-I'm bone on bone, my right joint is 10mm shorter than my left joint, my condyle on my right slight is slightly small and my left condlye is slightly overgrown. As of May of 2015, I am also developing bone spurs.

So ya, I actually do know what I'm talking about. As for your gallbladder surgery, it may not have cost $50,000 but I would bet you that it cost more than $10,000.......gallbladder surgery also has been around A LOT longer, been mainstreamed, and has research behind it, can you say all of those things about TMJ? Because right now there is a serious lack of research within the TMJ community as to what works for who or why

Laura I also will say-I'm not saying that people should go to one specific doctor-I am angry about the entire issue of TMJ........lack of research, lack of doctors for those of us who have serious cases, lack of AFFORDABLE care all around, doctors and dentists who are NOT qualified and yet are fleecing us and selling us stuff that will harm us more. I am angry about all of these things, but it's wholly unfair to bash one specific doctor when really it's an entire system that has failed us. Also, where is protection for doctors who are treating patients like us and insurance companies can do what they do by paying and then denying? Where are the insurance commissioners in every state to make certain TMJ is covered? Where is the viable research for options for those of us that need surgery?

I had a consult with Dr Piper and he recommended surgery. Wondering if anyone went through with the fat graft surgery.