A human face has two temporomandibular joints on each side of the face and they can be found by placing your hand in front of your ear, near the opening of your mouth. These joints help to perform the basic functions of the mouth including chewing, speaking, biting, and yawning. Also connected to the different face nerves and muscles
If you are experiencing chewing problems, difficulty in opening and closing jaws, or having pain in the jaws; these are the signs that you are under the TMD’s attack. Don’t get confused with these two terminologies TMJ is simply “Temporomandibular Joints” whereas TMD stands for “Temporomandibular Disorder”. It is the disorder of the TMJ that creates hurdles and our oral health is badly affected by it.
Can Braces Fix TMJ problems?
Yes. surely for some disorders and facial structures it helps out. But let’s first understand what causes the TMJs dysfunctions and what are its symptoms?
Division of Temporomandibular Disorders:
There are three main disorders associated with TMJ.
- Disorder of the joints
- Disorder of muscles
- Headaches with TMD
Some TMJs disorders are miniscule in nature and get corrected by themselves whereas others are long-lasting and need special care in order to be corrected properly. There are a few different methods that are used including a braces attachment along with over-the-counter medication, which to reduce or eliminate the slight occurrence of TMDs. Additionally, physical therapy is also beneficial in eliminating jaw pain.
What Activities Can Cause TMJ Disorder?
There are a few very common activities that will form TMD and will make your oral health perform poorly.
- Eating too much chewy food increases the chance of the TMJ problem.
- Nail Biting habits
- Clenching
There are many symptoms associated with the rise of TMD the most common of which are mentioned here:
- Pain in the neck and head
- Face pain
- Pain in ear
- Having severe headaches
- Jaw stiffness
- Hearing loss occurs
- Muscle Fatigue
- The jaws move to one specific side while opening and closing the mouth.
- Misaligned upper and lower jaws
- Broken teeth
- Physical discomfort
- Swelling
- Difficulty in chewing food
Few people have a popping and clicking sound from the TMJs place at the time they open their mouth, but if they do, it can be heard by the person near you also. This clicking and popping without pain are not considered TMDs.
Many people mistake the jaw pain for a cavity, but, it can also be an issue related to TMJ disorder. No specific cause is highlighted for the TMDs formation; and, multiple factors can be the cause of its arising.
What Causes TMJ Problem:
- Temporomandibular joint erosion.
- Jaw abnormalities.
- Bad bites.
- Misaligned teeth
- Missing teeth.
- Teeth grinding
- Jaw trauma
- Arthritis
Other Alarming causes:
- TMD’s are more significant in women than men. The researchers emphasize that this problem may be due to the high stress that is found in women.
- If an injury is caused to the TMJ it can also develop the TMJ disorder.
Can Braces Correct TMJ Dysfunction?
Orthodontists believe that TMDs can be caused by teeth misalignment, bad bites, or extreme grinding which will be corrected by the application of the braces. Because the braces’ role is to create pressure on the jaws to straighten teeth.
The pressure which is created on the jaws can correct the TMJs issue smoothly.
There may be patients asking an orthodontist about TMJ severity and do braces fix TMJ problems? Surely, after a complete examination, the orthodontist can come up with a clear picture as to what caused TMDs.
Sometimes the jaw starts deviating on one specific side. This TMJs disorder can be corrected with the pressure of the braces during the treatment. Additionally, a balance will be maintained by stopping its one-side deviation. Traditional Metal Braces and Clear Aligners can help correct the TMJs problem but the orthodontist can best assist with which braces type is more suitable for a specific person’s need and case severity.
TMDs Treatment Without surgeries:
Some people directly reach the surgical option for getting rid of the TMDs. However, there are multiple other options to get relaxed with this disorder including the below one:
- Choose to eat soft food rather than hard and stick food items.
- Conduct mouth and facial exercises to help the face muscles stretch properly.
- Reduce nail-biting and clenching habits.
- Jaw relaxation
Conclusion:
We cannot say that fixing TMJ with braces is the only solution for the TMDs correction but, yes, if you are facing jaw problems due to severe teeth misalignment and bad bites then going to the orthodontist is of great advantage. Reach out to Orthodontic Experts to get additional information. When you have an oral health problem, we have a solution.
