If your jaw clicks when you yawn, aches by mid-afternoon, or occasionally refuses to open all the way, you are not imagining it and you are not alone. Temporomandibular joint disorder, usually shortened to TMJ or TMD, affects millions of adults, and most of them wait years before mentioning it to a dentist. At The Dental Atelier in Lynnwood, TMJ evaluation is part of a normal exam, because jaw problems rarely fix themselves and the fixes are far simpler early on.
What the temporomandibular joint actually does
You have two TMJs, one just in front of each ear. Each is a hinge and a slider at the same time: the jaw rotates to open a little, then glides forward to open wide. A small cartilage disc sits between the bones to cushion that movement. When the disc slips, the muscles that move the jaw tighten, or the joint becomes inflamed, you get the collection of symptoms we call TMD.
Signs you may have TMJ disorder
- Clicking, popping or grinding sounds when you open or chew
- A jaw that catches, locks open, or will not open fully
- Pain or tenderness in the jaw, cheek, or in front of the ear
- Headaches that start at the temples, especially on waking
- Earache, ringing or a feeling of fullness with no ear infection
- Flattened, chipped or worn-down teeth from grinding
- Neck and shoulder tightness that never quite releases
Many Lynnwood patients first see a physician for the headaches or an ENT for the ear symptoms. If those exams come back clear, the jaw joint is the next place to look.
What causes it
There is rarely a single cause. The most common contributors we see are:
- Clenching and grinding (bruxism), often during sleep and often stress-related
- Bite misalignment: teeth that do not meet evenly force the joint to compensate
- Missing or worn teeth that have shifted the way the jaw closes
- Arthritis in the joint itself
- Injury to the jaw, even an old one
- Posture and habits: forward head posture, gum chewing, nail biting, resting the chin on a hand
How we diagnose TMJ in Lynnwood
A TMJ evaluation at The Dental Atelier starts with a conversation about when the pain happens and what makes it worse. Then we palpate the jaw muscles and joints, measure how far and how straight you open, listen for joint sounds, and check for wear patterns on the teeth. When we need to see the joint itself, our in-office 3D cone-beam scan shows the bone and joint space in far more detail than a flat X-ray, without a referral to an imaging center.
Treatment options, from simplest to most involved
1. Self-care and habit changes
For mild cases, a soft-food week, moist heat, avoiding wide yawns and gum, and simple jaw stretches can calm an inflamed joint. We will show you the exercises that help and the ones that make things worse.
2. A custom occlusal splint or night guard
This is the workhorse of TMJ treatment. A lab-made splint, worn mostly at night, keeps the teeth slightly apart so the muscles cannot fully clench, redistributes bite forces, and protects enamel and existing dental work. Over-the-counter boil-and-bite guards are bulky and can actually worsen clenching; a custom splint is thin, precisely balanced to your bite, and adjusted at follow-up visits. Read more about how custom night guards protect your restorations.
3. Bite correction
If the underlying problem is teeth that do not meet evenly, a splint manages symptoms but does not remove the cause. Options include reshaping high spots on a few teeth, restoring worn or missing teeth with crowns or implants, or orthodontic alignment with clear aligners.
4. Medication and muscle therapy
Short courses of anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants, trigger-point therapy, and in some cases therapeutic Botox injections into the overworked chewing muscles can break the pain cycle while the splint does its work.
5. Referral for advanced care
A small percentage of patients with disc displacement or degenerative joint changes benefit from physical therapy, arthrocentesis or, rarely, surgery. We coordinate those referrals and continue to manage your bite and dental health alongside the specialist.
What TMJ treatment costs
Many dental insurance plans cover a TMJ exam and a custom night guard, at least in part; some medical plans cover TMJ care as well. In the Puget Sound area a custom occlusal splint typically runs a few hundred to around a thousand dollars depending on design, and we provide a written estimate and check your benefits before anything is made. Members of our in-house savings plan receive a discount on splints and related care.
Frequently asked questions
Does TMJ go away on its own?
Mild flare-ups sometimes settle with rest. Clicking that has lasted months, locking, or progressive tooth wear generally do not, and untreated grinding can crack teeth and restorations.
Is jaw clicking without pain a problem?
Painless clicking means the disc is slipping but the joint is coping. It is worth having evaluated so we can protect the teeth and monitor the joint, but it does not always need treatment.
Can a dentist treat TMJ, or do I need a specialist?
Dentists diagnose and manage the large majority of TMJ cases, because most are driven by the bite and the chewing muscles. We refer the uncommon cases that need surgical or specialist physical-therapy care.
How long until I feel better with a night guard?
Most patients notice less morning jaw tension within two to three weeks. Headache and ear symptoms often take six to eight weeks to settle as the muscles retrain.
Jaw pain in Lynnwood? Let's find the cause
Dr. Kunal Narang and Dr. Aiman Pourahmari evaluate and treat TMJ disorder for adults and teens at The Dental Atelier in Lynnwood, WA. Book a TMJ evaluation online or call 425-774-0111, and bring your current night guard if you have one so we can check whether it is helping or hurting.
.png)
.svg)