TMJ doctors in Corpus Christi, TX
5 published clinics and 5 attached clinicians in Corpus Christi. Clinicians are listed on the clinic page only. An NPI taxonomy is not proof of TMJ services or board certification.
Listed ZIP codes: 78413, 78414, 78411. Nearby cities: Harlingen, Edinburg, San Antonio.
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Listings come from the federal NPI registry and clinic websites. How listings are verified →
What a TMJ provider does in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas. It sits in the Southwest. The directory lists 5 organisations and 5 clinicians in Corpus Christi — 10 records in total, and has a short list. The commonest NPI taxonomy here is linked-provider records, on 3 records. Oral and maxillofacial surgery covers another 2. 78413 alone holds 2 of them. The temporomandibular joint is the hinge where the lower jaw meets the skull, with a cartilage disc between the bones and the closing muscles attached to the mandible. Jaw pain, clicking and locking usually come from that joint or those muscles rather than from the teeth themselves. Providers who treat it in Corpus Christi work out of practices listed in this city, and the taxonomy on the registry record is the only specialisation the registry itself records.
How to use the Corpus Christi list
Every entry below is an organisation in the federal NPI registry, carrying the address and phone number the registry holds. The listings cover 3 ZIP codes in Corpus Christi. The rest are spread across 2 other ZIP codes in the city. Every listed organisation on this page has at least one clinician attached in the registry, so you can see a name before you call. Every listing here carries a phone number from the federal registry. 5 listings carry published opening hours. 5 listings have coordinates on file, so every entries appear on the map. 4 listings publish a website address, printed as plain text rather than a link so the directory does not sell traffic. A clinician appears under an organisation only when the registry points the same phone, street, ZIP or name at both records. That is a registry match, not a verified employment history.
What to ask when you call a Corpus Christi office
The registry records what an organisation is, not what it treats, so one phone call settles most questions. Ask whether the practice sees jaw joint and orofacial pain problems, whether they take patients referred for a TMJ assessment, and what a first visit involves. With 5 clinicians attached to Corpus Christi records, you can name the person you are asking about before you call. Ask about insurance before you go: TMJ treatment runs through dental, medical and surgical routes, and Texas coverage follows the plan rather than the procedure. If the office says it does not treat TMJ disorders, the state page still lists every Texas organisation, and the near-me finder works from your own location or a ZIP code.
Corpus Christi Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons PC
5756 S Staples St F, Corpus Christi, TX, 78413 · 361-993-2290
- Mance Cutbirth — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES lists the same phone, full street, and ZIP for this person and this organization. That is a shared registry address, not confirmation that the person works at the clinic. Source: nppes:2026-11-08T06:53:26.)
- Kenneth Haynes — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES lists the same phone, full street, and ZIP for this person and this organization. That is a shared registry address, not confirmation that the person works at the clinic. Source: gmaps:2026-11-08+nppes.)
Cutbirth Mance a DDS
5756 S Staples St # F, Corpus Christi, TX, 78413 · 361-993-2290
- Mance Cutbirth — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES records the same phone, street, and ZIP, and the organization name contains this person's last name. This is a registry match, not a separate employment check. Source: gmaps:2026-11-08+nppes.)
Jesus Gomez DDS
6421 Saratoga Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX, 78414 · 361-992-3873
- Jesus Gomez — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES records the same phone, street, and ZIP, and the organization name contains this person's last name. This is a registry match, not a separate employment check. Source: gmaps:2026-11-08+nppes.)
R. Bryan Gulley DDS PLLC
6421 Saratoga Blvd, Bldg 101, Corpus Christi, TX, 78414 · 361-992-3873
- Jesus Gomez — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES lists the same phone, full street, and ZIP for this person and this organization. That is a shared registry address, not confirmation that the person works at the clinic. Source: nppes:2026-11-08T06:53:26.)
- R. Gulley — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES records the same phone, street, and ZIP, and the organization name contains this person's last name. This is a registry match, not a separate employment check. Source: nppes:2026-11-08T06:53:26.)
Thomas J. Teenier (MD)
5402 Holly Rd, Corpus Christi, TX, 78411 · 361-814-3223
- Thomas Teenier — Dentist – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (NPPES records the same phone, street, and ZIP, and the organization name contains this person's last name. This is a registry match, not a separate employment check. Source: gmaps:2026-11-08+nppes.)
Other cities
How many published clinics are in Corpus Christi?
5 organization clinics and 5 attached clinicians are published for Corpus Christi. A clinician is counted once even if more than one record points at the same person.
Does a taxonomy label mean the clinic treats TMJ disorders?
No. The NPI taxonomy is self-reported. It does not prove which conditions a clinic treats, and it is not board certification.
Quick answer
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement; "TMJ" names the joint itself. If you are looking for a TMJ doctor or orofacial pain provider in Corpus Christi, start by reviewing local listings, asking about conservative care, and checking how each clinician's training fits your problem. Most symptoms settle on their own, so a first visit rarely needs to end in surgery.
TMJ care options listed in Corpus Christi
The directory currently lists 6 providers in Corpus Christi. All 6 carry the oral & maxillofacial surgery taxonomy in the federal NPI registry, and 0 listings carry the orofacial pain dentist taxonomy. Registry taxonomy entries are self-reported labels, not certifications. The listings span 3 ZIP codes: 78411, 78413, and 78414.
| Name | Specialty (NPPES taxonomy) | ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus Gomez, DDS | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78414 |
| Jia-Woei Wang, DDS, MD | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78411 |
| Kenneth Haynes, DDS | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78413 |
| Mance Cutbirth, DDS, MD | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78413 |
| Ronald Schlimmer, DDS | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78413 |
| Thomas Teenier, MD | Oral & maxillofacial surgery | 78411 |
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a recognized dental specialty focused on surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases and injuries of the oral and maxillofacial region. Orofacial Pain is also a recognized dental specialty — the 12th recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards, adopted in September 2020 — but the directory shows 0 Corpus Christi listings under that taxonomy. If you are unsure who treats jaw disorders, the guide on what a TMJ doctor is called explains the terminology. Because these listings are all surgical, some patients with muscle-related pain compare TMJ doctors across Texas or start from a TMJ doctor near me search.
How to choose a TMJ doctor in Corpus Christi
Conservative care comes first; most jaw and muscle problems never need anything irreversible. Evidence reviews agree: self-management, physical therapy, and medication before surgery, with referral to oral and maxillofacial surgery mainly for cases that do not respond to other treatment, and prompt imaging and surgical referral after jaw trauma or a suspected dental abscess. NIDCR also suggests a second opinion, ideally from an orofacial pain clinician, before any treatment that would permanently change the joints, teeth, or bite.
A practical sequence:
- Track symptoms for a few days: pain location, clicking, locking, and when it hurts. Painless clicking alone is considered normal and does not need treatment.
- Start with your dentist or primary care clinician and describe when the pain began and what makes it better or worse.
- Ask which conservative options come first, such as soft foods, heat or cold, NSAIDs, jaw exercises, or physical therapy.
- Ask how the provider's listed NPI taxonomy, for example oral & maxillofacial surgery, fits your type of problem.
- Ask which visits will be billed as medical versus dental care and whether precertification is required.
- If surgery or bite-altering treatment is proposed, ask why simpler options are not the plan and consider a second opinion.
Seek prompt medical or emergency care for a jaw that locks shut or open, facial swelling with fever, new numbness, a jaw injury, or jaw pain occurring with chest pain.
What to expect at a first TMJ visit
A first visit is mostly questions and a hands-on exam. Expect a detailed medical history, questions that separate TMD pain from other causes of face and ear pain, and an examination for tenderness, clicking or grating, and range of motion. Opening less than about 30 to 35 mm is considered abnormal.
Imaging is not automatic. X-rays, CT, or MRI may be ordered when the diagnosis is unclear or conservative treatment is not working; before you leave, ask what the diagnosis is, which treatment comes first, and how success will be measured.
Insurance and cost questions in Texas
Texas law speaks to this directly. Under Insurance Code Chapter 1360, a group health benefit plan that covers medically necessary diagnostic or surgical treatment of skeletal joints must provide comparable coverage for temporomandibular joint conditions when the need results from an accident, trauma, a congenital defect, a developmental defect, or a pathology. The plan may still apply its usual rules, such as precertification.
The chapter has limits. It applies only to group health benefit plans delivered or issued for delivery in Texas, and it does not require a plan to add dental services it does not otherwise cover. Some TMJ care, such as appliance work, is often billed as dental rather than medical, which is why that split matters. Ask your insurer: is my plan a group health benefit plan, is this billed as medical or dental, is precertification needed, and what documentation should the office send.
Also near Corpus Christi
If scheduling or coverage does not work locally, other nearby cities have listings: Victoria has 1 listing, Harlingen has 3 listings, and Edinburg has 4 listings. Compare profiles for TMJ doctors in Edinburg while you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral to see a TMJ doctor in Corpus Christi?
It depends on your plan, not on the city. Many patients start with a dentist or family clinician; whether a referral is needed is a question for your insurer. With severe symptoms or a jaw injury, call the office directly.
Are there orofacial pain dentists in Corpus Christi?
The directory lists 0 Corpus Christi providers under the orofacial pain dentist taxonomy; 6 are listed under oral & maxillofacial surgery. Orofacial Pain is a recognized dental specialty for pain disorders of the jaw, mouth, face, head, and neck. If that fits your situation, the nearest listings may be in other Texas cities.
Does Texas insurance have to cover TMJ surgery?
For group health benefit plans in Texas, Insurance Code Chapter 1360 requires comparable coverage for medically necessary diagnostic or surgical TMJ treatment caused by accident, trauma, congenital or developmental defects, or pathology, when the plan covers other skeletal joints. Precertification rules can still apply. Adding dental benefits the plan does not otherwise cover is not required.
How common is TMD?
TMD affects about 5% of adults in the United States, according to NIDCR, and other reviews put the range at 5% to 12% of the population. It is roughly twice as common in women as in men, especially between ages 35 and 44.
Is jaw clicking without pain a problem?
No. Clicking or popping sounds without pain are common, are considered normal, and do not require treatment, according to NIDCR. Painful clicking, locking, or limited opening is a different situation and deserves an examination.
When should I stop waiting and get urgent care?
Go for prompt medical or emergency care if your jaw locks shut or open, you have facial swelling with fever, there is new numbness, or your jaw was injured in an accident. Chest pain with jaw pain also needs emergency evaluation.
References
- TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) — NIDCR, NIH
- Temporomandibular Disorders: Rapid Evidence Review — American Family Physician (AAFP)
- Recognized Dental Specialties — National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards (ADA)
- TMJ disorders - Diagnosis and treatment — Mayo Clinic
- Texas Insurance Code Section 1360.004 – Coverage Required — texas.public.law
- Texas Insurance Code Section 1360.002 – Applicability of Chapter — texas.public.law
- Texas Insurance Code Section 1360.005 – Dental Services Coverage Not Required — texas.public.law
Medical disclaimer
This page is general information for patients researching TMJ care in Corpus Christi and is not medical advice. It does not diagnose anyone and does not replace an examination by a licensed clinician.
Reviewed by the tmjspecialistguide.com editorial team · Last updated 2026-11-01.