And I am so upset. His orthodontist is flabbergasted cause from the age of 10-15 he had two sets of braces by a different orthodontist. The first doctor did not catch the early signs of TMJ. Now the new doctor is trying to fixes it with braces and a splint. My son is experiencing some pain and we are clueless as to how to prevent any pain. Please help I need some advice.
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As physical therapists, my hubby and I both treat TMJ disorders. I also have severe problems with my own due to faulty orthodontic treatment as a kid.
The key is to understand that just correcting a bite or splinting to redistribute the forces due to grinding or clenching won't fix everything. Once there's pain, there's muscular guarding and spasm, connective tissue injury and scarring, and possible head and neck pain as a result of the primary problem and subsequent alteration of normal function.
All of the contributing and resultant factors have to be addressed effectively for the TMJ disorder to be resolved satisfactorily. Unfortunately, relatively few orthodontists recommend PT as part of a comprehensive care plan in treatment.
Best of luck!
Maribeth Salge, MA, PT, ATC, CSCS, RCEP