Our Philosophy

Our Treatment Philosophy

For patients struggling with temporomandibular joint disorder, the lack of agreement between health professionals on the diagnosis and treatment of this condition can be frustrating. Often, a diagnosis is made with less-than-adequate technology. Some professionals even interpret symptoms wrong, while treatment solutions may vary from doctor to doctor. Because of this, patients struggling with TMD may feel confused about their options or their specific needs. And when mistakes like these are made at the very beginning of treatment, patients may find that they need additional care—even after receiving extensive care through orthodontics, surgery, or other changes to their bite. Treatments that were supposed to fix the problems may only have made matters worse, increasing anxiety or sense of hopelessness.

Since 2008, Dr. Sutter and his team have been focused on providing the best treatment for TMD. We’re dedicated to the total wellbeing of our patients and have worked hard to keep our office up to date with the latest technology. At every appointment, Dr. Sutter will listen to your story and provide the personalized care you need. Thanks to his advanced training and eye for detail, he’s given relief to patients who couldn’t find it anywhere else. Most dentists are not interested in treating TMD, or they are not adequately trained.  Dental Schools traditionally do not spend much time on the treatment and etiology of orofacial pain and TMD.  At our office in Eugene, OR you can look forward to a very different treatment experience.

What makes us different?  In a single word...technology.  Dr Sutter is trained in Neuromuscular Dentistry as taught at LVI, Perfect Bite Doctor protocol which is the precursor to TruDenta, and DTR (Disclusion Time Reduction Therapy) as taught by its pioneer Dr Robert Kerstein.  Many doctors are trained in one 'school of thought' in treating TMD.  This means everyone that walks in the door gets placed in that treatment philosophy's "system".  We use digital imaging and biometrics to help get a grasp on what is going on with you!  Then we talk about the results we found with you and treatment  options are presented to you and recommendations are made based on the imaging and the testing we do.  Ultimately, the decision which treatment you want is yours, including the option to do nothing.  Occasionally, patients seek us to rule out TMD, and that's ok too.

Click to see the technology that sets us apart from other TMD dentists.