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Can a Palatal Expander or Braces Cause TMJ?
asked 8 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Hasan Othman, DDS, MS, PhD
Question viewed 309 times
Tags: expander, TMJ
There is a review titled "I now have TMJ for life" and several people have commented that they have TMJ problems, and also had palatal expanders and braces when they were younger. Is there a link between palatal expanders, braces, and TMJ?
3 answers to Can a Palatal Expander or Braces Cause TMJ?
+2
Do Braces or Expanders Cause TMJ?
Following a landmark lawsuit in 1987 where a Michigan patient received a legal judgment against her orthodontist for giving her "TMJ," hundreds of studies and millions of dollars have been spent by the scientific community to find if there really is a relationship between orthodontic treatment and the health of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Obviously this would be an important finding for doctors and patients alike. These studies have examined the different types of bad bite...
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Greg Jorgensen, DMD, MS
Albuquerque Orthodontist
Albuquerque Orthodontist
+1
Braces and TMJ
There is no scientific evidence that braces or expanders would cause TMJ problems, Many patients that have TMJ problems have normal bite and never had braces before. The answer can get more complicated than this, but I'm trying to stay with the scientific evidence.
Hasan Othman, DDS, MS, PhD
Lombard Orthodontist
Lombard Orthodontist
+1
TMJ Dysfunction and braces
Is there a link between palatal expanders, braces, and TMJ? The answer is that there can be. In other words, braces can cause TMJ Dysfunction if the practitioner is not knowlegable about the relationship of teeth to the TMJ. Although there are multiple reasons for TMJ Dysfunction to occur, orthodontic tooth movement can be one of them. Any treatment that causes the lower jaw to retrude can precipitate TMJ Dysfunction. Therefore...
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