Does orthodontic treatment increase or decrease your risk for TMJ disorders?

Claims that orthodontic therapy causes temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have been around a long time. Is there truth to these claims? A study published last year in the Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics looked at this topic by evaluating 1011 children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18. They separated these young people based on whether or not they had undergone orthodontic treatment and then evaluated them using the Helkimo index and Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. What did they find? Not surprisingly, the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the occurrence of TMD symptoms between those that underwent orthodontic treatment and those that did not. Why is this result not surprising? There have been several studies over the last 25 years that have all showed the same results (orthodontic treatment does not increase or decrease your risk for TMJ disorders).
If you have any questions about temporomandibular disorders and how they relate to orthodontic treatment, please contact your Phoenix and Goodyear orthodontists. While your Litchfield Park and Phoenix orthodontists do not specialize or focus their practice on TMD or TMJ disorders, they can put you in touch with some excellent doctors who do focus on this area.