It’s Not “Just Teeth”: Why Your Jaw Runs The Show with Dr Suzie Bergman

Send us Fan MailA car accident in her teens didn’t just change Dr Suzie Bergman’s life; it changed her field. After years of surgeries and a total TMJ joint replacement, Suzie turned personal pain into a mission to rebuild how we care for orofacial pain—by uniting dentistry with medicine, sleep, rehabilitation, and behavioural health. We dig into why chronic jaw pain resists quick fixes, how misdiagnosis happens, and what it takes to form a team that can see the whole person rather than isolated parts.We walk through the mechanics of integrated care: who belongs on the core team, how to share information in real time, and why patient education on sleep, hormones, digestion, and mental health can change outcomes fast. Susie shares a standout research milestone recognised by the Journal of Neurosurgery, where she and a neurosurgeon developed an AI tool to help separate rare trigeminal neuralgia from common TMJ-related pain, reducing the risk of unnecessary surgery. The conversation also explores training reforms that bring dental, medical, and rehab students together, closing the mouth–body gap that has persisted since dentistry split from medicine.Behind the scenes, Suzie opens up about boundaries, burnout signals, and how she’s reshaped her practice at Dentistry on Officers Row to prioritise interdisciplinary care without rushing complex pain visits. From co-treating patients in the same visit to cutting back on orthodontics to make room for advocacy and education, her approach offers a practical blueprint for clinicians who want to do better by their patients and themselves. If you care about TMJ disorders, sleep disordered breathing, chronic overlapping pain conditions, and evidence-based collaboration, this is your playbook for change.If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague who treats complex pain, and leave a review to help more listeners find it.BiographyDr. Suzie Bergman, DDS, FTMJF is a dentist, educator, and advocate specializing in orofacial pain, TMJ dysfunction, sleep-disordered breathing, and chronic overlapping pain conditions. She is the founder of Dentistry on Officers Row in Vancouver, Washington, where she leads a patient-centered, integrative care model that bridges the gaps between dental, medical, and behavioral health disciplines.Suzie’s clinical path is deeply shaped by personal experience — after sustaining significant jaw trauma in her youth and undergoing multiple surgeries including full joint replacement, she developed a powerful lens for treating complex pain through collaborative, whole-person approaches. In addition to her practice, she serves as President-Elect of the American Association of Women Dentists and contributes to ongoing research recognized by the Journal of Neurosurgery.Contact DetailsWebsite: dentistryonofficersrow.comLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzie-bergman-8a525430/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dentistry.on.officers.row/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063663185365Subscribe on SubstackVoices in Health and Wellness is published on Substack, as part of The Diagnostician. Every episode lands there with written notes and reflections you won't find in the podcast feed. Free to subscribe.👉 https://thediagnostician.substack.com/s/voices-in-health-and-wellnessAbout the podcastVoices in Health and Wellness features conversations at the intersection of medicine, lifestyle, and human potential, with clinicians, scientists, and thinkers shaping the future of care.About Dr Andrew GreenlandUK-based medical doctor and founder of Greenland Medical, specialising in Integrative and Functional Medicine. Trained in both conventional and root-cause approaches, Andrew helps people optimise health, performance, and longevity, with a focus on cognitive resilience and healthy ageing.