A New Era for TMJ: Dr. Dhanani Leads Emface Study

Dr. Shireen Dhanani became the first U.S. dentist to lead the Emface TMJ clinical study.

For years, patients living with chronic jaw pain heard the same message: live with it, bite down on a nightguard, or consider surgery. Dr. Shireen Dhanani, D.M.D., believed there had to be a better way. This year, she helped prove it. As the first doctor in the United States invited to conduct the clinical study for Emface TMJ before its FDA clearance and launch, she is helping usher in a genuinely new era for temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

Where Dentistry Meets Total Wellness

Most dentists focus only on teeth. Dr. Dhanani built My Dental Touch Wellness Studio on a bigger idea. She treats function, aesthetics, airway, posture, and muscle balance, understanding that oral health is deeply connected to total wellness. That whole-person philosophy sets her apart in a profession that often stops at the smile.

Her credentials reflect that ambition. Dr. Dhanani is a Diamond Plus Invisalign Provider, a distinction earned by less than one percent of dentists nationwide. Yet she does not see herself as only a provider. She is a clinical researcher and educator, someone who studies new science and then teaches other doctors how to apply it responsibly.

"I am genuinely passionate about transforming lives, not just smiles," she explains. That conviction has shaped every decision in her practice, and it led her directly to the breakthrough she is now known for.

The Breakthrough: Emface for TMJ

Emface began as an aesthetic device. In the medspa side of her studio, Dr. Dhanani used it to treat facial aging and volume loss non-invasively, offering patients a compelling alternative to injectables and facelifts. The technology works by stimulating facial muscles and tissue, lifting and toning without needles or downtime.

Then came a question that changed everything. If Emface could strengthen and balance facial muscles, could it also help the overworked, misfiring muscles behind TMJ dysfunction? The idea bridged two worlds that rarely meet. With the exception of Botox, no treatment had truly combined dentistry and aesthetics in a meaningful way.

BTL Aesthetics, the company behind Emface, recognized Dr. Dhanani as the right clinician to find out. They invited her to lead the clinical study for Emface TMJ, making her the first doctor in the country to explore this application before the treatment received FDA approval. For patients who had exhausted their options, this represented real hope: a non-invasive path toward relief from jaw pain, tension, and dysfunction.

From Researcher to Educator

The results of that work did not stay in the clinic. Based on her experience and the strength of the study, BTL Aesthetics invited Dr. Dhanani to speak at their conferences. There she educates fellow doctors on Emface TMJ, shares her clinical findings, and explains how the treatment fits into a broader model of care.

Her contribution has also been recognized in the professional press. Dentistry Today credited her clinical research in its coverage of BTL expanding Emface uses to treat TMJ, a notable acknowledgment of her role in advancing the field. For a practitioner who values evidence as much as outcomes, that recognition carries real weight.

This is what makes Dr. Dhanani different. She does not simply adopt new technology. She helps create the knowledge base that makes it trustworthy. When she offers a treatment, she can speak to it not only as a user but as the researcher who studied how and why it works.

Why This Matters for Patients

For the person who wakes up with a sore jaw, who hears clicking when they chew, or who has quietly accepted headaches as part of life, this progress is personal. TMJ dysfunction affects daily comfort, sleep, posture, and confidence. Traditional approaches often manage symptoms without addressing the muscle imbalance at the root.

Emface TMJ represents a shift. It is non-invasive, which means no incisions and no needles. It targets muscle function directly, aligning perfectly with Dr. Dhanani's conviction that healthy function supports a healthy, beautiful appearance. And because she treats airway, posture, and muscle balance together, patients receive care that considers the whole picture rather than a single symptom.

That integrated approach is the heart of My Dental Touch Wellness Studio. Patients are not rushed through a checklist. They are evaluated as whole people, with attention to how their oral health connects to the way they feel, breathe, and carry themselves every day.

A Practice Built on Trust

Reputation in medicine is earned one patient at a time, and Dr. Dhanani's reviews reflect the care she brings to each visit. Patients describe a practice where they feel heard, understood, and genuinely cared for. That human connection is not a marketing line. It is the reason many of them return and refer the people they love.

It is also why her research matters beyond her own walls. When a clinician who truly listens to patients becomes the first in the country to study a new treatment, that treatment gains an advocate who understands what relief actually means to the person in the chair.

Dr. Dhanani stands at an unusual intersection. She is a top-tier Invisalign provider, a wellness-focused dentist, a medspa innovator, and now a published clinical researcher shaping the future of TMJ care. Few practitioners can claim that range, and even fewer bring it together with such clear purpose.

The Future Is Already Here

The combination of dentistry and aesthetics is no longer a theory. It is happening now, in Dr. Dhanani's studio and on the conference stages where she teaches. Emface TMJ signals a future where patients no longer have to choose between relief and convenience, or between function and appearance.

For anyone tired of managing jaw pain instead of resolving it, that future is worth exploring. And for a profession eager to grow, Dr. Dhanani offers a model of what is possible when a clinician refuses to stop at the surface.

Discover a New Approach to TMJ and Total Wellness

If chronic jaw pain, tension, or TMJ dysfunction has shaped your days, you deserve care from a leader in the field. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Shireen Dhanani at My Dental Touch Wellness Studio and discover how Emface TMJ and a whole-person approach can help you feel, function, and look your best. Call +1 (352) 728-8300 or visit the studio online to begin. Relief, confidence, and genuine wellness may be closer than you think.