TMJ and Braces?!
Question: TMJ and Braces!?
So I went to the dentist today, and he wants me to get braces for my TMJ!. The TMJ isn't just a minor pain thing for me, I have worn about 40% of my teeth away already from bruxism!. (I'm 21)!. Pretty brutal, and the dentist seemed to think so too!. He thinks it is incredibly important for me to get the braces!. These aren't the kind of braces for straightening teeth, more for pulling my teeth/jaw down out of my gums I guess!? Not totally sure!. Has anyone had this!? He said the jaw bone right above my teeth has become really thick from all the pressure I exert on it!. Anyway, the braces are $3500 and we really CAN NOT afford it right now, but it seems I will have to or face the consequences of jaw surgery later on!. I'm just wondering if anyone has gotten braces to solve TMJ or for the purpose of helping the wear of teeth!. (I'm not sure exactly how this helps, I guess it realigns my jaw or something!?) Any thoughts!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Sounds like he wants to use the braces to extrude all your teeth up!. It could work if your dentist knows exactly what he needs to accomplish!. You may want to ask him how many cases he has done like yours and what the results were!. He should have no problem showing you some before and after results!. Also make sure your roots are long enough to do this because if they are short and you end up with more tooth structure above the jaw bone than below the jaw bone it could be a nightmare for you and him!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm in the same boat!. wish I could help though!. I've been procrastinating and won't wear a splint!.!.!. I end up drolling on myself and that just isn't coolWww@Answer-Health@Com
hi i also under the treatment of my tmj, i'm using right now a splint or a tmj appliance!. this appliance which im now wearing for 3 mos have a weekly schedule of adjustment, it makes my upper teeth to widen the spaces!. on july im having my braces on my lower teeth to make it align,i have an oclussal bite which i think is the cause of my tmj !.i think you need first to heal your jaw, you can look for pictures in google so that you can picture in your mind what appliance am i talking about!. it really needs a lot of patience and that's true the whole treatment is expensive! gudluck!Www@Answer-Health@Com