Metal Mouth Message Board

Would braces help with TMJ problems?

I have TMJ, and I wonder if the braces are going to help it or make it worse. Either way, I want to straighten my teeth, so I'm just hoping for the best with the TMJ problem.

I have TMJ as well and currently started treatment. My ortho is hoping the braces will fix the dysfunction in my jaw. I have a 100% overbite and each time I bite down it forces my jaw to swing back which is causing the dysfunction. Once my bite is corrected it should.....in theory.....correct my TMJ.

Heres hoping!!!!

wow your an ortho? Awesome

I had popping and clicking for almost 2 years now.

I was wearing a $500 mouth splint at nights for the last year to combat my TMJ symptoms. Constant headaches and other pain accompanied. I needed the braces anyway, but my ortho reassured me most TMJ patients see a reduction in symptoms during treatment. Often, those symptoms don't return after the braces are off.
I don't know if he was right about it all, but I had four extractions two weeks ago and the braces on one week ago. Since the extractions, not one jaw pain. I still have a click going on, but no pain, no headaches - I'm happy. If symptoms come back later, the 20 months of relief will still have been worth it!!

This has only been my experience, but I have had severe TMJ problems in the past including a complete jaw lock at one point. I stopped using the uncomfortable, headache-causing appliances and treated the symptoms by keeping my stress level down and not chewing gum, etc. Since I've had my braces on, I have had zero discomfort in my jaw. I hope that continues after the braces are off.

Brace_Face_2006 wrote:wow your an ortho? Awesome

Well....I am definately not an Ortho.......Just a 30 year old mother of one! I was only telling you what my ortho had explained to me!

My ortho explained it like this. If you dont correct your bite the problem with your TMJ will only continue to get worse because your bite is misaligning your jaw. Having your bite fixed can not heal the damage that has already been done to the join itself so although it may relieve your symptoms the damage is still there and may flare up from time to time. Fixing your bite will correct the malaligned joint and avoid further damage to the TMJ, but may not "cure" your problem.

So in some many words it may or may not work but atleast it should not make it worse. My TMJ has been much better since getting braces the better my bite gets the less discomfort I have. I have flare ups once in awhile, but nothing like pre-braces.

Mine has improved 100%. I've been braced for 13 months and noticed a huge difference within the first 4 months. Good luck!

sorry kiwi lol. I misread your message

I have TMJ and have been told for years I was goign to have to have my jaw broke and reset to even help slightly. I got braces put on in June and within a couple weeks of having them put on I stopped getting migraines from my jaw and the clicking has almost stopped. So I'd say yes it can help TMJ. My ortho did say that there is no guarantee that braces will help TMJ and I'll probably always still have some clicking problems.

Had I known that braces would have helped me this much I would have done it years ago.

wow thanks. I hope it helps mine.

Wow this is so encouraging. I've had jaw problems for a couple of years and I was at my wits end. It turned from clicking to grinding and headaches. I'm scared when I have to cough, sneeze and worst of all yawn. Never mind the pain I experience when I eat anything even slightly chewy. I saw my Doctor who figured I'd need surgery, I've had x-rays, seen a chiropractor for weeks and seen a dentist and nothing worked or even helped for that matter. Now I've been wearing my splint for a couple of weeks. There hasn't been much improvement yet but I can't expect the splint to fix in weeks what took a couple of years to get to this point. I'm really hoping braces will fix or improve my TMJ. I'm also looking forward to a beautiful smile! What a bonus.