Dr Ishtar Mahdi

Dr Ishtar Mahdi is a dental surgeon with a particular focus on dental sleep medicine and the conservative management of jaw disorders (temporomandibular disorders, or TMD/TMJ). She qualified BDS from Newcastle University and holds an MFDS from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. She trained with the British Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and has developed a special interest in the assessment and treatment of sleep and jaw disorders.

She sees adults whose sleep, breathing or jaw is affecting their daily life: people who snore or have been told they stop breathing in their sleep, those who grind or clench their teeth, and those living with jaw pain, joint clicking and recurrent headaches. The symptoms that bring patients to her are easily dismissed and often long-standing. Waking unrefreshed, daytime tiredness and poor concentration, low mood, morning headaches, an aching or stiff jaw, and teeth that are worn, chipped or sensitive. Many have lived with these for years, unaware they can be assessed and treated.

What sets Dr Mahdi apart is the way she approaches diagnosis. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, she investigates what is driving them, on the principle that the airway and jaw can be connected and that lasting improvement comes from understanding the underlying cause of sleep or jaw disruption. She can arrange a home sleep study, allowing a patient’s breathing to be assessed overnight in their own bed rather than from symptoms alone. Treatment is conservative and tailored to the individual. This is typically a custom-made device worn only at night: a discreet appliance that supports the airway in snoring and milder obstructive sleep apnoea, or a precisely fitted splint that settles jaw pain and protects the teeth from grinding. Alongside this, she offers practical advice on the habits and lifestyle factors that influence how we sleep and how the jaw behaves, so that the device is one part of a fuller picture rather than the whole answer. She is also able to replicate an existing splint that has worked well for a patient but needs renewing, so that a trusted appliance can be reliably remade.

The benefits patients report are practical: more restful sleep, steadier energy through the day, fewer headaches, a more comfortable jaw, and teeth protected from further wear. A quieter night for partners is frequently part of it. Dr Mahdi is also experienced in treating anxious and neurodivergent adults, and nothing is undertaken without a clear explanation of what is proposed and why. Outside the clinic she is a keen potter, and she devotes time to mentoring and supporting young dentists early in their careers.