The Alpher Center

I was not planning on making a review of Dr Alpher, just looking for an address but I could not let these wild accusations just sit here on this site. I had my jaw lock up sometime in 1989, went to the Alpher center and in a matter of days had relief. Eventually, all pain in my jaw was gone, my jaw was absolutely quiet and has remained that way for over 25 years! This was all accomplished with a nighttime orthotic. Yes, I had to pay around $ 3000 or more to get to this point but the other options offered to me including some dramatic surgery to realign my jaw and could have been accompanied by a great deal of long-​lasting pain. After the initial multiple months of treatment I have paid nothing (for years) except recently when I wanted to get another appliance made simply because mine is so old (but still working). I have to tell you that Dr Alpher is World Class, knows your jaw and how to fix it with the least amount of trauma. Do some research on TMJ and the myriad implications and causes of jaw alignment. Be very careful of ANY invasive treatment, and research Dr Alpher. I think you are going to find 100s of success stories. I recommend him without hesitation.

3.5 stars.
An otologist I saw at Georgetown recommended I see a TMJ specialist for my chronic ear pain, despite my regular dentist saying I don’t have TMJ. The specialist the otologist referred me to was outside of metro-​accessible Bethesda, so I called my regular dentist to ask for a referral in DC. Fortunately, this office is within walking distance from my apartment.
Dr. Alpher did not rush me through the appointment. Not only is he a nice guy, but he is funny as well. His sense of humor gets extra points from me.
Unfortunately, his services are pricey. Since I only go for cleanings twice a year as I am blessed to not have dental problems, I don’t know what’s standard for dental work. In my case, he wanted to charge me $ 3040 for testing, as he said I had mild TMD. Note that this price was just for some tests he wanted to run, and I was sure that treatment would be more expensive. I recently called my insurance and none of the tests he proposed were covered. As a result, I’m not going to continue with him because my jaw never bothered me and I’m not going to put down thousands of dollars on the table for a problem I don’t/didn’t have in the first place.
My dentist actually agrees that my problem is ENT, not TMJ or dental related, as she took x-​rays and did a physical exam. She knows what she is doing and doesn’t push expensive treatments, so why wouldn’t I trust her? As long as my jaw is not bothering me and she says the same, I’m saving my money for issues that DO bother me.

Dr. Alpher defrauded me over $ 12,000 and that was only the first phase of treatment. Pain in the Jaw Muscles, temples, neck, upper back lower back is not a dental problem. Dr. Alpher may help with some conditions, but not a lot of what he does. Jaw muscle, temple and face pain is part of a musculoskeletal pain disorder from trigger points that refer pain to many locations including the face and jaw muscles. These trigger points are located in the back and neck. Treatment is to the trapezius, splenius capitis, and cervicis, scalenes, and paraspinal muscles among others. Physical medicine is hard to come by and doctor don’t want to do it and can’t charge for how much time it would cost. Best case scenario is that Dr. Alpher will defraud you of a lot of money, worst case is he will complete the treatment and permanently alter your teeth and jaw which can’t be reversed. Treatment is not easy and is hard to find and you may not find it, but if you had pain like I did this is not the cause or the solution. Try finding a physical therapist who will do manual therapy with their bare hands on trigger points or somebody with a CMTPT certification. You can also find massage therapists, but like PT’s many claim to know and don’t. If anyone tells you to put ice on it then they don’t know what they are talking about and that makes trigger points worse, you need heat. Dry needling does not work well due to safety inhibited access, lack of targeting and feedback, try acupressure methods and bare hands. Learn about trigger points. Make sure your pillow is not thick if you are laying on your back and don’t lay on your stomach. Keep elbows at sides when typing and sitting, not forward. Side sleeping requires more thickness. You may want a slim TempurPedic curved memory foam pillow for back sleeping.

I highly recommend the Alpher Center. I am not exaggerating when I say Dr. Alpher changed my life. I had spent the past 15+ years seeing dozens of «experts» to tackle my TMJ pain, and at most, I would get minimal short-​term relief. By the time I wound up in his office, I had already resigned to the fact that this condition was only going to get worse. Dr. Alpher changed all that. He has a profound understanding of TMJ and a scientific, holistic approach to treatment. On top of that Dr. Alpher and his whole team genuinely care about their patients.
Five years after finishing my treatment and I am still relatively pain-​free thanks to Dr. Alpher. The intense grinding I used to hear and feel every time I opened my mouth has been silenced. The headaches are gone. My initial months of treatment required a significant time and financial commitment (unfortunately, BCBS insurance didn’t cover anything TMJ– related) but it was well worth it. Dr. Alpher and his team are really the best at what they do.

My experience at the Alpher Center was absolutely wonderful. The front desk staff were extremely friendly and personable. My jaw has been popping non stop over the past few months so I decided to get it looked at it. Dr Alpher took his time with me, I never felt rushed or anything. Some times when I go to the doctors I feel like the don’t genuinely care about your well being, and they don’t listen. Dr Alpher really cares and wants to do everything possible to help you, without you having to get surgery, which I think is pretty awesome. He listened to me and explained everything to me so I was never confused or feeling silly for asking questions. I highly recommend the Alpher Center!

Dr. Alpher is a snake oil saleman. I had some jaw issues and had been treated for TMJ when I was younger, so I fell for his gig. After spending THOUSANDS of dollars, I went to another dentist that was honest and he tossed the appliance in the trash. Had I continued treating with Dr. Alpher, it would have probably cost another $ 5,000 and I would have had another apparatus that would have done more harm than good.