Can braces help with uneven jaw?

I'm going to get braces in a few months and am quite excited. I have crooked teeth so i know braces can help straighten my teeth. But I think I also have a slight uneven jaw..my right jaw goes out more than my left jaw and I noticed that when i open my mouth wide, my right jaw makes a popping noise.I know there is surgery for facial asymmetry but do you think braces can help as well? Do any of you have any similar problems? just want to get some ideas.

Sounds like you have TMJ.

My jaw was uneven and I had severe malocclusion, so I know exactly what you're talking about. I talked it over with my orthodontist, and she recommended that I undergo jaw surgery, which I did last summer. Mine was a more severe case, though, and interfered with eating and such. If an incorrect bite is causing your TMJ, orthodontics SHOULD be able to fix that. In theory. The idea is, once your bite aligns, your TMJ will eventually go away. Every case is different though.

When your orthodontist examines you for the first time, one of the things he/she should be doing is looking for signs of TMJ. If not, definitely bring up the fact that your jaw pops.

Anyway, getting surgery is a drastic measure. I think you're in the right mindset to ask first about what orthodontics can do for your uneven jaw. Unfortunately, all orthodontics can do is fix your bite (if malocclusion isn't too severe), maybe your TMJ, but it WON'T fix your facial asymmetry.

thanks for your insight pbjsandwich! I don't really feel any pain or uncomfortableness when I eat..can you describe how you feel when you chew stuff? It is weird that only my right jaw pops (it is also the jaw that protrudes out more) and my left jaw doesn't. Did you have a severe overbite or underbite? Do you think braces can help with TMJ? My doctor didn't say anything about surgery, only braces so I will probably bring up tmj in our next meeting.

Braces help only to straighten up ur teeth.

The problem with the uneven jaw, If u do not feel uncomfortable I do not thin you should pay attention to it. Mine is slightly uneven too, but it is not really visible and i have no porblem with chewing or eating so...I live pretty good with it.

Before I got surgery, the molars on my left side wouldnt meet, so I'd be unable to chew on my left side. That was due entirely to the fact that my bite was severely misaligned. I didn't have an overbite or underbite. It's not unusual to have only one side of your jaw popping. from what I've heard, thats usually the norm for people with tmj.

I didn't have any problems chewing, really. It's just that over the years, because I was always forced to chew one side, it caused enormous strain on my right temporal mandibular joint.

braces may help with tmj IF tmj is caused by an incorrect bite.

If your tmj isnt bothering you too much, then ask your orthodontist about night guards.

idk if it will fix the lopsided ness, but braces can change/affect face shape. somaybe for you it will be kind and "fix" it? ha

im worried about braces changing my face..im content with it rn..

No. Braces only move your teeth. Your uneven jawline could come from you just using one side of your mouth to chew more often or sleeping on one side more. Take note of these when you do it and try to switch it around.

I would like to know that too! I have a "moderate" underbite (not too severe, but the ortho say they can't fix it with only braces), and my jaw is also uneven. Once you get braces, your bite will be completely different. Usually they give you elastics to try to correct the bite too. So far it's been 2 months... my top jaw moved forward a bit, but I think my jaw is still uneven.. maybe even worst than before. My jaw clicking is still there.. no change, but I'll have to wait for 2 more years to see the complete result.

Are you sure your jawbone is uneven and not your face muscles? m

Because if your musculature is asymmetrical, you could probably fix it by chewing with the smaller side...

I think they can go either way.. like pbjsandwich said, it might help your bite which leads to correcting your jaw over time but in my case (and a lot of others) the rubber bands and stress on my jaw caused TMJ for me. It wasn't too severe though and after I stopped eating crunchy and hard things it's improved a lot.

I'm going to get braces in a few months and am quite excited. I have crooked teeth so i know braces can help straighten my teeth. But I think I also have a slight uneven jaw..my right jaw goes out more than my left jaw and I noticed that when i open my mouth wide, my right jaw makes a popping noise.I know there is surgery for facial asymmetry but do you think braces can help as well? Do any of you have any similar problems? just want to get some ideas.

It's different for everyone. I don't think the internet can give a very good idea of what's best. I mean, in my case, my bite was very off, but this was due to the fact that my teeth were crooked and thus made my jaw muscles get used to that motion, so just fixing my teeth fixed my jaw. You'll have to talk to an orthodontist to know for sure.

I just got my molds done so I'm meeting my ortho next week to talk over specifics. I don't have a severe over or underbite...i know for sure my right jaw protrudes out more than my left. When i open my mouth wide..i can feel my jaw bone (the part near your ear..but my left jaw bone (also near my ear) is not as "out' as my right side. Also, when i smile to take pictures,the right side of my face is normal, my jaw is more prominent but the left side is more 'in'. It's not noticeable in person but it's more noticeable in pictures. So i will ask the ortho and let you guys know exactly what my problem is. Thanks for all the information guys.

I have an uneven jaw. My right side is a bit larger than the left.When I look back at old pics of me, my face and jaw were perfectly symmetrical. I'm getting braces soon, will that help my jaw? Or do I just need to switch sides while eating and chewing. If so how long will that taked to even out my jaw?

It's TMJ disorder, not just TMJ. Everyone has a temporomandibular joint ;D

I have tmj disorder and my jaw pops every time I open it wide and when I eat very chewy foods. It doesn't hurt all the time only if I chew something too hard and it clicks out of place or if I sleep on it funny. The popping doesn't hurt for me. I would be VERY wary about getting braces without seeing an orthodontist who is highly trained in tmj problems. Getting braces with an uneven jaw can make it 100 times worse and cause agonizing pain and lead to extensive surgery. The procedure for getting braces with an uneven jaw and tmj is to first have a special jaw aligning plate( like a mouth guard) fitted for your mouth that you wear for a year or two which will push your jaw into the correct alignment and then you get braces to match up your teeth.
I have a big overbite and bunny teeth at the front, but after seeing a specialist for tmj I decided i'd much rather live with my teeth and not risk making my tmj any worse because the success rate for braces correcting tmj and an uneven jaw is quite hit an miss about 50%. Also my teeth make me who I am and i've grown to quite like them over the years. I know for a fact if braces straightened them I wouldn't be able to chew at all due to the way my jaw sits.
So ya i'd advise you to seek out a tmj specialized orthadontist and see what they say for you

lovefool said: I just got my molds done so I'm meeting my ortho next week to talk over specifics. I don't have a severe over or underbite...i know for sure my right jaw protrudes out more than my left. When i open my mouth wide..i can feel my jaw bone (the part near your ear..but my left jaw bone (also near my ear) is not as "out' as my right side. Also, when i smile to take pictures,the right side of my face is normal, my jaw is more prominent but the left side is more 'in'. It's not noticeable in person but it's more noticeable in pictures. So i will ask the ortho and let you guys know exactly what my problem is. Thanks for all the information guys.

no, not at all braces are for teeth, not fixing your jaw. you would probably need surgery to fix it.Go to a local orthodontist and get it checked.
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