About 30% of dental patients complain of painful jaw joints, according to one study, leading to difficulty chewing and opening and closing of the mouth, accompanied by clicking and popping sounds.
Dr. Maryam Motlagh is a Portland dentist who also once suffered from a TMJ disorder. That experience and her frustration with the clunky night guards on the market led her to invent a better mousetrap — or rather, a better jaw aligner.
Motlagh, an honor graduate of the OHSU School of Dentistry, used a fellowship to research various solutions. In 2016, after a lot of trial and error and 33 different models, Motlagh patented a 3D designed, non-invasive segmented aligner she christened the Myoaligner.
“It’s replacing a lot of surgery and invasive treatment and opened the door to general dentists to offer an affordable and accessible solution for patients,” Motlagh said. “We’re hoping to impact public health.”
She foresees explosive growth ahead, mentioning that Invisalign is now a $55 billion company.
“We’re definitely considering a nice exit in a few years,” she said.
