TMJ Disorder Services in Seattle WA

TMJ Specialist Near You

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your jaw joint. If you have had symptoms like pain or a “clicking” sound, you’ll be glad to know that these problems are more easily diagnosed and treated than they were in the past. These symptoms occur when the joints of the jaw and the chewing muscles do not work together correctly. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the name for each joint (right and left) that connects your jaw to your skull. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important.

No one treatment can resolve TMJ disorders completely and treatment takes time to become effective. Dr. Saturay can help you have a healthier, more comfortable jaw.

Trouble with your jaw?

TMJ disorders develop for many reasons. You might clench or grind your teeth, tightening your jaw muscles and stressing your TM joint. You may have a damaged jaw joint due to injury or disease. Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or stretch or tear the muscle ligaments. As a result, the disk, which is made of cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position. Whatever the cause, the results may include a misaligned bite, pain, clicking, or grating noise when you open your mouth, or trouble opening your mouth wide.

Do You Have a TMJ Disorder?

• Are you aware of grinding or clenching your teeth?
• Do you wake up with sore, stiff muscles around your jaws?
• Do you have frequent headaches or neck aches?
• Does the pain get worse when you clench your teeth?
• Does stress make your clenching and pain worse?
• Does your jaw click, pop, grate, catch, or lock when you open your mouth?
• Is it difficult or painful to open your mouth, eat, or yawn?
• Have you ever injured your neck, head, or jaws?
• Have you had problems (such as arthritis) with other joints?
• Do you have teeth that no longer touch when you bite?
• Do your teeth meet differently from time to time?
• Is it hard to use your front teeth to bite or tear food?
• Are your teeth sensitive, loose, broken or worn?

The more times you answered “yes”, the more likely it is that you have a TMJ disorder. Understanding TMJ disorders will also help you understand how they are treated.

TMJ Treatment

There are various treatment options for TMJ that Dr. Saturay can utilize to improve the harmony and function of your jaw. Once an evaluation confirms a diagnosis of TMJ disorder, Dr. Saturay will determine the proper course of treatment. It is important to note that treatment always works best with a team approach of self-care combined with professional care.

The initial goals are to relieve the muscle spasms and joint pain. This is usually accomplished with a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, or muscle relaxant. Steroids can be injected directly into the joints to reduce pain and inflammation. Self-care treatments can often be effective as well and include:

• Resting your jaw
• Keeping your teeth apart when you are not swallowing or eating
• Eating soft foods
• Applying ice and heat
• Exercising your jaw
• Practicing good posture

There are different types of appliances used for different purposes. A proper examination and diagnosis using researched proven diagnostic tools are used prior to prescribing any treatment.
The goal of treatment is to identify the root cause, formulate treatment modalities to avoid worsening, correct the instability, find the stable mandible, joint and teeth position and finally create balance and harmony in the entire craniofacial, cervical and sacral positioning along with muscles function to hold the body from relapsing to original unbalanced position or habits.

Some oral appliances are worn day and nighttime and are partnered with a Chiropractor , massage therapist, physical therapist and medical doctor treatment modality. Treatment times can involve months of treatment or multi appliance use as the stability continues and needs to be adjusted or maintained. Botox therapy is also an adjunct but not a sole treatment on its own.

Every individual treatment is customized to the diagnosis, needs and lifestyle of the patient. It is never a “cookie-cutter” same for all type of nightguard therapy. Dr. Saturay takes pride in understanding the individual needs of the patient and customize that treatment accordingly.

What about bite correction or surgery?

If your TMJ disorder has caused problems with how your teeth fit together you may need treatment such as bite adjustment (equilibration), orthodontics with or without jaw reconstruction, or restorative dental work. Surgical options, such as arthroscopy and open joint repair restructuring, are sometimes needed, but are reserved for severe cases. Dr. Saturay does not consider TMJ surgery unless the jaw can’t open, is dislocated and non-reducible, has severe degeneration, or the patient has undergone appliance treatment unsuccessfully.