Braces and a painful jaw. how to tell if it is tmj?

TMD: Tmj is an anatomical term for your jaw joint. Problems with your joint(s) are termed tmd, and braces usually have no relation to causes of tmd. See your dentist or TMJ specialist.

Cause or Cure: Orthodontic treatments can be a cause of joint problems if they cause the joint to be positioned in a compromised position. Orthodontics can also be part of the correction if they maintain a stable relationship. The difference is what is the stable position and does the orthodontic treatment maintain or compromise these relationships.

Symptoms can fool ya: When i explain tmj/tmd to my patients, i tell them that everyone has TMJ (unless some type of mutation, cancer or accident.) TMJ is the anatomy of the jaw joints- (t) temporal bone on upper maxilla; (m) mandible- lower jaw; (j) joints- where the two meet in a complex of tendons, ligaments, etc. Tmd are the symptoms exhibited by someone who has a problem with the TMJ complex.

See an expert.: See a TMJ expert to help evaluate and treat your problem. A TMJ expert can be general dentist, an oral surgeon, prosthodontist, orofacial pain specialist. Ask your physician, dentist or dental society for a recommendation.