Yes! Whether you are struggling with jaw pain related to a TMJ disorder or snoring and health issues caused by sleep apnea, our team wants to help you improve your quality of life. We’ll determine whether you can benefit from oral appliances, laser treatments, and/or myofunctional therapy and create a personalized treatment plan for you. Most patients feel better and function better as treatment progresses.
About the Centre
About The TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre of Utah
Non-surgical care for TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, and craniofacial pain, delivered by a team that treats only these conditions. Patient-first, diagnostics-led, and built around what your evaluation shows.
Our Story
Our Story
For over 15 years, The TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre of Utah has helped adults and children affected by craniofacial pain and sleep-related breathing disorders. Our team specializes exclusively in these conditions, offering precise diagnosis and care that does not involve surgery, tailored to each patient. Improving quality of life is our purpose.
Dr. K. Cheyn Gunnerson leads that work, treating jaw, airway, and sleep together instead of one symptom at a time.
Meet Dr. Gunnerson
Dr. K. Cheyn Gunnerson
Dr. K. Cheyn Gunnerson is a clinician dedicated to helping people reclaim comfort, balance, and better sleep through advanced TMJ and sleep therapy. With a deep understanding of how airway, muscle, and joint function work together, he takes a whole-body approach to restoring natural alignment and long-term wellness.
As a graduate of the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, where he excelled in the top five percent of his class, Dr. Gunnerson has invested thousands of hours in post-graduate education to ensure he provides top-tier care to his patients in Payson. He also serves as the Utah State Advocate for the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM).
Known for his approachable style and genuine care, Dr. Gunnerson believes that healing starts with understanding, not just treating symptoms. His work blends clinical precision with real-world practicality, helping patients experience life free from the pain, tension, and fatigue that often go unnoticed for years.
Whether in the clinic or behind the podcast mic, his goal is simple: to help people breathe better, sleep better, and live better.
AADSM State Advocate
Utah State Advocate for the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Top of his class
Graduated in the top five percent at OHSU School of Dentistry.
Thousands of hours
Of post-graduate education in TMJ, airway, and sleep care.
Whole-body approach
Airway, muscle, and joint function evaluated together, not one symptom at a time.
Our Team
The Team Supporting Your Care
Myofunctional Therapist, RDH
Mindy Lunceford, RDH
Mindy Lunceford, Registered Dental Hygienist, is a Myofunctional Therapist who has been dedicated to helping smiles shine brighter and lives feel healthier since graduating from Dental Hygiene school in 1997. In 2020, she expanded her scope of care by adding myofunctional therapy to her practice, blending science with compassionate support to guide both children and adults on their path to improved health. For Mindy, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone thrive—and knowing she played a small part in that transformation.
Mindy has been joyfully married since 1995, and together with her spouse, she has been blessed with five amazing adult children and two sweet grandchildren who keep their hearts full and their schedules delightfully busy.
When she’s not working, Mindy can often be found with soil on her hands in the garden, a spoon in her hand in the kitchen, or a suitcase by the door—ready for the next adventure. She has a special love for baking (especially with real, high-quality vanilla), musicals, cozy theater nights, and exploring beautiful places. Switzerland and Japan are among her favorite travel destinations, though a piece of her heart will always belong to Grenada, West Indies, where she lived for nearly two years.
Her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, as it brings together the perfect combination of food, family, and gratitude. Mindy believes caramel apples are an acceptable snack at any time of year, that shrimp and steak are better when shared, and that nothing compares to the flavor of a sun-warmed, freshly picked peach.
If asked about her favorite color, Mindy will say it’s the colors of sunrise and sunset—because that’s when the world feels most magical.
Collaborating Clinician
Dr. Valenzuela
Dr. Valenzuela is a collaborating clinician who focuses on sleep and its impact on whole-body health, for children and adults. His goal: patients who feel well-rested and refreshed every day.
Payson, Utah
Meet the Team in Person
Request an evaluation and we will map out what is driving your symptoms — jaw, airway, sleep, or all three.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Practice
We are a fee-for-service, out-of-network practice. Medical insurance rarely covers TMJ treatment and restricts oral appliances for sleep apnea, often requiring severe disease before approval. Staying out of network lets you and your provider decide your care. Medical plans may still contribute toward sleep apnea treatment, subject to deductibles; Medicare does not cover TMJ treatment.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition treated with an oral appliance, so only medical insurance applies, and it is subject to your annual deductible. We give you the documentation to submit a claim; once your deductible is met, plans generally cover more.
Because insurer rules make conservative care impractical: mild sleep apnea is not approved without a prior heart attack, stroke, or depression; appliance therapy is denied when TMD signs exist; and the billing codes for TMJ orthotics (S8262, 2015) and diagnostic CBCT (76102, 2022) were eliminated. We would rather treat early than wait for chronic disease.
No. Medicare does not cover TMJ/TMD treatment, so we cannot be a Medicare provider. Standards of care are set by licensed clinicians and by the American Boards of Craniofacial and Orofacial Pain, not by insurers. Most plans that cover TMJ surgery require the same non-surgical care they decline to pay for.