Palate Expander Gave Me TMJ?

[Deleted member 30866]

Context: I was given a palate expander when I was in around 8 years old, and since then I have had issues with jaw clicking/cracking and tightness. When I open my jaw widely, it opens slightly left, then rises over a "hurdle" and resets back to center again. When I was young I talked to my orthodontist and family about it and they basically dismissed it. I never thought much about it but now I realize this seems to be classic TMJ. Today I noticed that my ramuses are visually different lengths with significant downward growth. I assume its possible I've had TMJ my whole life even before the expander and never really noticed because I was too young, or perhaps the expander only worsened my TMJ, and didnt create it. Currently I am 16, is the only option orthodontics or surgery, and if so what recommendations do you guys have?

 

[Starborn]

nigga waited almost 3 years to make 1 post

 

[iabsolvejoe]

you got screwed by the palate expander. it widened your upper jaw but didn’t address how your mandible or joints were maturing, so now one condyle prob sits higher than the other. that clicking you feel when opening is the disc slipping

 

[Deleted member 30866]

nigga waited almost 3 years to make 1 post

Chill on me