TMJ Tiff

New Treatments     Towards the end of June, I got braces and a RPE (Rapid Palatal Expander) inserted on the roof of my mouth in hopes to fix my cross bite, correct my bite (class II malocculusion), and relieve pressure on my jaw joints.  Treating TMJ with braces is very controversial, but I took a risk with the procedure because I've maxed out my options and do not want to get surgery due to the high failure rate.  Much of my troubles in July has been attributed to the RPE.  The RPE is an appliance that widens my narrow palate and is cemented at the roof of my mouth.  It widens by breaking the palatal suture in your skull.  I made a rushed decision to get the RPE because around age 23, the sutures in your skull start to fuse, making it impossible to break with an RPE.  Breaking a fused palatal suture would require a painful surgery that could go wrong.  The RPE expands by inserting a key in the appliance and turning it. This is the upper jaw viewed from underneath. You ca