Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi Doc -
I am preparing to embark upon my orthodotic journey - spacer go in on friday. I have contended with pretty severe tmj disorder-every time any dentist / oral surgeon / whoever sees it i get the same response - that noise that people make at you when you show them bad sunburn - but i digress. The orthodontist made mention that the braces may help with my tmj disorder- i have tried to research this concept but have found very little - is this true? Is there any other ideas in using orthodontic to correct my jaw? Any input appreciated.

thanks lucy! I am going for my spacers today! I hope that any releif on the tmj issues will be a sort of positive side effect.

My jaw gets achy and clicky sometimes too, especially if I have to have my mouth open for long periods or when I close my mouth after I yawn, it'll make a popping noise, so hopefully braces will help with that.....even though my ortho/dentist said they probably won't

i've heard both -even spoke to a maxiliofacial guy who said (while laughing, so i suppose he was being a bit tongue in cheek) that getting my jaw broken would be his recommended method - that he could reconstruct it to work properly - though that method seems a bit extreme for me...

TMJ problems reflect such a wide variety of signs and symptoms, that a clinical exam , xrays, history and mounted models are often necessary to get a good diagnosis. Often TMJ problems get better with braces, at best on average braces don't cause TMJ problems, but the way to solve the problems can involve splints(orthotics), Prosthodontics, Orthodontics and Orthognathic surgery. Most often, however, the symptoms improve over time with treatment.

thanks, Dr Jeff! I'll be hoping for the best from my beautiful tin grin!!

HI , great topic, i've had tmj probs since age 40, from age 40 to 43 i was seen by many doc's an in an out of er rooms for this ,surgery surgery surgery pain med after pain meds is all that was talked about even at VANDERBILT UNV in nashville, after the first round of braces an elastics were taken off way early ,as told by my ortho/tmj expert wich i have now , the answer like the good doc here said yes it does work , i'm no longer as of two years ago in pain, or on ANY , can i say it agian, ANY pain meds, for tmj what so ever, it's been over 5 years of number of appliances an slow movement not to upset the tm joint but i'm VERY VERY ,with the out come an yes i guess if had to do it agian over surgery i would , hope this helps , hgjoe

thanks for the words of encouragement. Like i said, for me it will be a positive side effect. My jaw is pretty bad - my dentist said it dislocated itself and i, without realizing, relocate it constantly. It bears mentioning that me dentist is my cousin, so she see's me frequently and for long lengths of time.

I'm having the same problem!

Because my jaw keeps dislocating, they're thinking that they will have to put my brace on in about 6 stages because i can't keep mymouth open long enough

My daughter had tmj so badly her jaw would dislocate during sleep and she would have to manually manipulate it back into place in the morning. She wore a night splint for 2 years and then was referred to an Ortho. She began treatment with a retainer in the roof of her mouth for approx 3 months then into 21 months of braces. Today, she is braces free and has no problems with the TMJ other than when she chews gum (which she doesn't do to stay pain free). Find a good Ortho who is knowledgeable in TMJ problems. It was worth every penny spent. She is pain free and has a fantastic smile.

This is all encouraging information, I am hoping for some changes with me.
I got braces to fight my TMJ symptoms and I made it like two weeks pain-free before I started clenching even worse than I did before, but only in my sleep. I wake up in the morning in pain, which subsides through the day and it starts again at night. I've taken a chunk out of my molar buildup overnight when it first started up again.
The problem is, I can't use my splint anymore because it was made for my teeth before the braces. I wonder if there are alternatives to help reduce pain while in braces? Then hopefully I'll progress to the point I pass pain and it goes away before treatment finishes.