Dr. James Bates
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Dallas, TX
38 years experience male
Locations
Texas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Dallas, TX
Phone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
First Health PPO
Aetna
UnitedHealthcare
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Cigna
MultiPlan, Inc
Metlife Insurance Company of Connecticut
Humana Insurance Company
Great-West Healthcare
Dentegra
Dental Benefit Providers, Inc
Coventry Health Care
Assurant Inc
Anthem BC Life & Health Insurance Company
Ameritas
About
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Licenses
United States: Texas
Doctor Q&A
332 Answers
16 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Tonsillitis: Tonsillitis is diagnosed, as with any condition, by history and clinical examination. It usually presents as a chronic, recurrent sore throat, with fe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Maybe, maybe not: Pain in the collarbone area is not a common sign or symptom in tmd. However, very tight jaw muscles and neck pain are commonly seen in tmd. It sounds ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Not very likely: If it's a true skin graft, it might be covered by medical insurance. But if it's a gum (gingival) graft or a subepithelial connective tissue graft, it... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No average age: There is no average age for getting a palate expander. It should be done while a child is growing, before the bones fuse and growth ceases. It can be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Yes!: An underbite can be predictably corrected in adults using a combination of corrective jaw (orthognathic) surgery and orthodontics. Many of my patients... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Could be, yes.: Your symptoms are quite vague. Many things can cause lower facial pain, including impacted wisdom teeth or other dental problems. But, if the pain is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Many options!: Arthritis in the TMJ can be painful and is seen in all age groups, even teenagers, and also in older adults. It's generally the most common form of ar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
It depends!: Pain is a central part of TMJ problems, so they are very rarely pain free. Usually the pain begins as an isolated problem, then progresses to intermit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Ear and jaw pain: Not sure what you mean by unhinged slightly, but ear pain radiating to the jaw may be a sign of a TMJ problem, or a temporomandibular disorder. If it ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No one knows.: There's no age limit for treating TMJ problems, and what may happen if it's not treated depends on what the problem is, how severe it is, and many oth... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Yes.: Cancer of the oral cavity can take many forms. It may be cancer of the tongue, the jawbone, the gums, the salivary glands, the sinus cavity or the thr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
It depends: It depends on whether you're discussing orthodontic treatment (braces) or corrective jaw (orthognathic) surgery. With braces, depending on whether tee... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
It depends: As with all pain, your pain after TMJ surgery is multifactorial and depends on a lot of factors, including how much pain you are in before surgery and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No: There is no known, calculated number for the time required to develop oral cancer from chewing tobacco. However, using smokeless tobacco greatly incre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Yes!: Arthroscopy of the TMJ has been around for years, similar to knee or other joint arthroscopy. It involves inserting a small scope under anesthesia int... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Good question!: Tmj is not one but many conditions known together as temporomandibular disorders. They range from problems with the muscles and the bite to internal d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Trismus: What you are describing is caused trismus, which simply means limited opening of the mouth, which can be due to many things, including tmd (temporoman... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Difficult question.: "tmj" is not just one disease, it is one of many conditions generally referred to as temporomandibular disorders. It can be a combination of muscle an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
I'll try to help.: Sounds like you're asking about wisdom teeth. If your pain is caused by your wisdom tooth, and the only person who can tell is a dentist or oral surge... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Yes, but...: Your expectations need to be realistic. Jaw surgery will only help if you truly have a jaw deformity. You might benefit from a facial implant to resha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Very possibly: If your jaw is misaligned, and you have TMJ problems, then surgery to correct the misalignment, or orthognathic surgery, may very well help your TMJ s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Jaw surgery: The best answer depends on many factors, including age. If, as it appears, you're 40 years old, an underbite cannot be corrected solely with orthodont... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No!: There are several methods available to avoid tooth extraction for treatment of bimaxillary protrusion. First of all, it may not require specific treat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Common sense!: Tmj problems often respond to simple conservative treatment. This includes a soft, non-chewing diet consisting of things like mashed potatoes or grits... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
General anesthesia: Jaw alignment surgery, or orthognathic surgery, is routinely performed under general anesthesia. Some minor jaw adjustment procedures, such as a genio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
TMJ arthroscopy: Recovery after TMJ arthroscopy is fairly rapid. Most folks are able to return to work or school within a day or two. You should experience some swell... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
A few hours: Generally speaking, after wisdom tooth surgery, bleeding lasts a few hours. It can be controlled by firmly biting on cotton gauze. The bleeding may be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No!: Very loud snoring in a non-obese 22 year old female is not normal. You may have a jaw deformity that causes your airway to obstruct if your lower jaw ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Surprisingly little!: These days, with contemporary anesthesia and pain control, even major jaw surgery results in minimal to moderate pain. In the past, as the other docto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Absolutely!: Tender trigger points are one of the main characteristics of TMJ problems. These are usually in the jaw muscles or directly over the jaw joint in fron... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Displaced disc?: Sounds like you may be developing a "closed lock" of the tmj, due to a displaced disc. This can be best seen on an mri. Sometimes this will respond to... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Probably not: In general, there is no need to take chlodiazepoxide before seeing your dentist to relax your jaw. Certainly, do not take it or any prescription medic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
None I know of: There are no exercises to relax the jaw. The idea is simply not to exercise the jaw...To let it relax on its own. Don't bite down. Don't open and clos... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Sometimes really bad: Tmj can cause severe headaches, usually on the side of the head or the side of the face or jaw. However, headaches can also be caused by more serious ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Root canal with TMJ: If you need a root canal, then you need a root canal. The only alternative is extraction of the tooth. These days, with good local anesthesia, a root ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Maybe!: Tooth grinding at night is called bruxism, and is much more common than often thought. You may be doing it without knowing it. A properly designed nig... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Jaw cracking: Popping or clicking of the jaw upon opening usually indicates a partially displaced disc in the jaw joint. If it makes more of a cracking or grinding ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No.: Tmj problems will not cause a swelling under the tongue. A swelling under the tongue could be several things, from an infected sublingual salivary gla... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
TMJ is the jaw joint: Tmj stands for temporomandibular joint. It's the joint that connects your lower jaw (mandible) to the skull at the temporal bone. It's a ball and sock... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
It depends: The best age for a child to be orthodontically treated depends on a wide variety of factors. Generally there are two phases of orthodontic treatment. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
It depends: It depends on what you mean be a fallen palate. As an oral surgeon, i've never heard of it. If by "fallen palate" you mean an unusually long or extend... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Not usually.: It would only be an emergency if you were having trouble breathing and needed to be intubated by a doctor. It's very common to be unable to open your ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Jaw locking up: If your jaw is locking closed, it generally means that the disc in the jaw joint may be displaced. If your jaw is locking open, that means that the ja... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Neither: I can't recommend that you take either of these drugs before seeing your doctor or dentist. Tmj problems are known for being multifactorial, so you ma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Need to be removed: Any time you have surgery inside your mouth, or oral surgery, such as having your wisdom teeth removed, any and all oral piercing devices should be re... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Jaw Pain: You may have developed an external or middle ear infection which can cause jaw pain, or you may have perforated your eardrum. You should see a doctor ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Locked Jaw: Many things can cause a jaw to lock. It can lock closed, or open. If it's locked closed, it's usually due to a displaced disc in the jaw joint. An MRI... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
No concern: You should not be concerned. This is normal pigmentation of the saliva from the blood clot in the tooth socket. It should subside soon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Double Chin: It may be very difficult to lose the fat in your double chin. If weight loss by diet and exercise doesn't do the trick, you may want to consider lipos... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Batesanswered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 38 years experience
Question?: I'm not sure what your question is. Most young healthy people recover uneventfully after having wisdom teeth removed. You can expect a couple of days ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
5
Recommendations
502
Thank you notes
Dec 18, 2014
As a Family Doctor I see a lot of TMJ. I have already learned a LOT from reading Dr. Bates' answers to questions about treating TMJ. He has my recommendation!
Dec 6, 2012
I commend Dr. Bates for his consistently excellent, thorough, articulate, and to the point advice.
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
Dr Bates submitted a claim to my insurance for proposed jaw surgery for my daughter. Aetna approved all the codes that were submitted and told me I would only have to pay a $75 copay for her surgery. ...Read More
HealthTap member
thank you. iam verry scared to b in pain during i dont want to fill them removing my teeth. the said i was being sedated but im still scared
HealthTap member
I'm currently suffering from TMD. I've had 4 cortisone injections this year. I'm 22 and miserable. I hadn't heard about arthroscopy for TMJ.
HealthTap member
Thanks so much for your response it's doctors like yourself that make patients like me feel better in more ways then one!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Texas Tech University
MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental School
MD
Medical/Graduate school
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
MD
Medical/Graduate school
Texas Tech University School of Medicine, TX
Graduated 1985MD
Residency
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Residency
Baylor University Medical Center
Awards
Listed, Who's Who in the World
Listed, Who's Who in Business and the Professions
Listed, Who's Who in the South
Affiliations
American Dental Association
Dallas County Dental Society
Texas Dental Association
Publications
A Modified Approach to the Surgical Correction of Chin Deformities
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less