Can braces cause Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD)?
Braces can definitely cause TMJ. Whether it did so in your case depends on exactly what was done. The most common cause of orthodontically induced TMJ is having bicuspids (aka premolars) extracted and the excess space removed by retracting (pulling back) the front teeth. This causes the lower jaw to be forced back too far whenever the teeth come together. Likewise, any procedure that tries to push the lower jaw back tends to do the same. Grinding can cause a secondary TMJ condition and/or aggravate a primary TMJ condition. To treat a secondary TMJ the causative factor just needs to be eliminated or made less harmful. In the case of severe grinding, a mouthguard or biteplate can help resolve the secondary TMJ condition. When TMJ is orthodontically caused, the bite will need to be changed or the position of the lower jaw will need to be changed to resolve the problem. TMJ disorders do not usually pop up overnight but rather creep up on you slowly over time. It will give you plenty of war
