whats wrong with my face tmj

[ganondorf]

okay i have quite abot to discuss. i am 28 now when i was 13 i put on braces because my lower teeth overlaped my upper teeth. after my first tightening i did not go back to get it tightened and i stayed in braces for 8 months unsupervised. Now my upper and lower teeth meet when i bite and i have a huge posterior open bite probably 1 cm on each side. Anway when i was younger i also used to have a habit of cracking my jaw when i was 15 or so. but my face is horrible now it is alll swolen i have no jawline my face puffs out loke crazy. i have tmj pain and popping, my tmj is swollen on both sides no confidence. i used to have a well defined face with good cheeckbones etc. I put on braces now ive been in them for a week but im kind of kicking myself ive read you have to sort the tmj out first before braces. so what should i do??

[Aspiring]

Definitely get the TMJ sorted before braces. There is no point in moving your teeth only to have to do it again to correct your joint problems.

Your orthodontist should have, bare minimum, screened for TMJ dysfunction. Not all will treat TMJ disorders, and that's okay, but they should refer you to someone who can help you.

I am currently in treatment for TMJ. Braces are only a maybe in a year or so, and that's only after Phase I of TMJ treatment is complete. If Phase I is successful, Phase II is braces to make permanent changes. If Phase I is unsuccessful, I have to decide to pursue further treatment (ie surgery) or to stop and live with the TMJD, and then braces would only be for cosmetic and bite reasons, not anything to do with the joints.

[ganondorf]

Thanks for the reply! So is it too late for me now, can i still have some kind of splint put on while im im the braces? I do have an appointment next month in the hospital where they will tell me the condition of my joints but i do not know where we will go from there. My orthodontic recommended bite blocks for the tmj is that a waste of time?

[ganondorf]

i must have intrntionally cracked my jaw 20 to 30 times what kind of damage might i have caused. My whole face is swollen now also do you think this can somehow cause your eyes too bulge as i feel my eyes are like owels now

[iceman]

I'm so sorry to hear about the pain you're going through .

Have you had any improvement since your last post?

[EmilyTravels]

i must have intrntionally cracked my jaw 20 to 30 times what kind of damage might i have caused. My whole face is swollen now also do you think this can somehow cause your eyes too bulge as i feel my eyes are like owels now

Get your thyroid levels checked. Bulging eyes can be a symptom of Grave's Disease and may have nothing to do with braces at all.