TMJ disorder, often referred to simply as TMD, is a painful condition that afflicts the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is located just in front of your ears. It controls the movement of your lower jaw and plays a critical role in speaking and eating. Sadly, it can easily become stressed or injured, leading to TMD. If you have this issue, you may be wondering about your treatment options. Can braces fix TMJ disorder, or would it be better to consider other solutions? This blog post explains what you should know.
What Causes TMD?
TMD is a complex problem. In some cases, its cause remains a mystery. In other instances, it can arise due to stress, injury, improper bite alignment, poor posture, teeth grinding, or other issues. Before recommending any type of treatment, your dental team will carefully examine your mouth and learn about your symptoms. The best way to address your symptoms will depend heavily on what is causing them.
Braces and TMD
Often, TMD arises because the upper and lower teeth are not properly aligned. This causes your jaw muscles to compensate for the problem, leading to extra work for your TMJ. In such cases, dentists may recommend braces. As the braces work to bring your teeth and jaws into their proper positions, they can reduce stress on your TMJ and provide long-term relief from symptoms like jaw pain, facial pain, headaches, and other related TMD symptoms.
Braces often take a year or longer to complete their job. Therefore, you might need to use other TMD remedies throughout your orthodontic treatment in order to minimize your discomfort. For example, you could try jaw exercises, heat and cold therapy, and posture adjustments. These at-home therapies could keep your symptoms to a minimum while your braces are striving to correct the root cause of your TMD.
What about Other Treatment Options?
Of course, braces are not always the best way to address TMD. Your dentist is likely to favor faster, more conservative options if your situation allows for it. In some cases, something as simple as a mouthguard to prevent nighttime teeth grinding is all that is necessary to relieve stress on the TMJ.
The other extreme is also a possibility. If braces or other options are not enough to correct your problem, you might be referred to a specialist for jaw surgery.
There is no “one size fits all” solution for TMD, but in some cases, orthodontic care can be the best route to long-term relief!
Meet the Practice
At Comprehensive Dental Associates of Central Connecticut, we have a talented team of general dentists and specialists. We offer braces, clear orthodontic aligners, and a number of other services that may help patients who are struggling with symptoms of TMD. To find out more about how we may be able to serve you, contact our East Hartford dental office at 860-288-5786.