Dr. Rachel Goldberg, DDS, MD

Dr. Rachel Goldberg treats the jaw joint and the bite, and she is known for trying the simplest effective option first. She earned her DDS at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and her MD at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and completed her oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She joined Molly in 2012 and divides her week between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.

Many of her patients come with jaw pain, clicking or locking. She works closely with Dr. Steven Novak, Molly’s orofacial pain specialist, and most patients improve with conservative care such as splints, physical therapy and medication. When the joint itself needs treatment, she performs arthrocentesis and arthroscopy, and in selected cases open joint surgery. She also performs corrective jaw surgery with local orthodontists, jaw advancement for obstructive sleep apnea, and Botox for jaw clenching when it is appropriate.

Dr. Goldberg is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Patients appreciate that she explains how the jaw joint works with a model in hand and gives them a realistic sense of how long improvement may take. Several have said she was the first surgeon to tell them they did not need surgery yet, and to mean it.