View RSS Feed

OA-TMJ

Confusion

Rate this Entry
3 Comments
by
OA-TMJ
, 07-01-2011 at 07:55 AM (376 Views)
So I've decided to look around a bit to maybe get a second (or third) opinion on my invisalign treatment and cost. Only thing is that in the process I have become very confused as one dental practice sent me the following:

'I have had a chat to our Orthodontists and they all wanted to know if you have seen and Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon for your TMJ problem? The reason we ask this is that sometimes TMJ pain is due to congenital or degenerative problems. Even if we did orthodontics for you there is still no guarantee that would solve your problem with TMJ pain. TMJ pain can have a multitude of contributing factors that cause it so that is why we can’t promise that aligning your teeth alone will fix your problem. It may be worth having a second opinion with another person in regards to your TMJ to verify that orthodontics is the best course of treatment.'

So, maybe invisalign won't be the magic fix to all my problems... If it isn't, do I even want to go through with it? It is a lot of money and if it's not going to fix my pain I'm not really sure I want it. I guess I should go and get a referral to see a specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeon and see what they say.
Tags: invisalign, tmj
Categories
Oral Surgery

Comments

  1. Boira's Avatar
    Hi OA-TMJ!
    I also suffer from TMJ problems, and saw a maxillofacial surgeon prior starting with Invisalign. Every case is different, of course, and what applies to one patient may be useless for another.
    In my case, my joint just 'pop out' when I open my mouth wide. Sometimes it get stuck closed and I can't open it for hours. The surgeon told me that Invisalign wouldn't change that, but it would align my teeth without making my TMJ problems worse. Fair enough, I think... :P
  2. OA-TMJ's Avatar
    Hi Boira,
    My issues are different to yours, no popping out or getting stuck, just pain every day almost all day. My TMJ dentist told me that straightened teeth would basically fix my problem. Before he said that I had not even considered straightening my teeth at all because I never really thought of them as being that crooked...
  3. Sunny's Avatar
    Orthodontics is not the usual way to correct TMJ issues, although sometimes this will help.

    You need to consult with someone who specialises in the treatment of TMJ ... and please make sure you have multiple consults.

    Good luck!