After extraction ortho for crowded teeth, 4 premolars taken out and everything pushed back, and 4 wisdom teeth extractions, I started getting breathing problems, speech problems, and TMJ problems. I can feel that there is little space for my tongue and I've been mouth breathing this whole time until I found how bad it was a couple months ago. 

I think this narrowed my upper jaw significantly. I used to have really thin lips after ortho but I think my teeth naturally shifted forward from not wearing retainers so I have fuller lips now, but I've noticed I started getting prominent smile lines probably from the upper jaw being in a narrow position. 

For about a year now I've been feeling that my chin wanted to retract back further and further and I started getting severe TMJ symptoms - I couldn't straighten the back of my neck without pushing my mandible forward like a bulldog. 

After MRI/CT scans, my dentist found that my TMJ has been really compressed into the skull and my disc is dislocated. 

This is my treatment plan:

1. Using a modified ALF (rn sagittal) to widen and lengthen the upper jaw. Dentist says that this appliance will create spaces in the molars which he will pull forward. He also says this pushes and develops the upper maxillary bone. 

2. As the upper jaw expands, the lower jaw will have space to move forwards. I have an overjet right now which means that the lower teeth are not able to fit with the upper teeth. Dentist described it as: imagine you have a size 8 foot (your lower teeth/jaw) and it's trying to fit in a size 7 shoe (upper jaw/teeth) this will squish the foot because it has no space to fit. Basically, my lower jaw WANTS to be in a more forward position, but it can't because the upper jaw is narrow. In a more forward position, none of my teeth touch so I can't bite at all. (I think this resulted from constant mouth breathing especially after I got my wisdom teeth extracted.. I believe the wisdom teeth extraction would have promoted the other teeth to move but I opened my mouth for a month while it was healing) 

3. So the upper and lower appliance will create space between the bite which will promote the discs to heal and be reattached to the joint. And the upper and lower appliance induced 'bite' will be aligned according to where my jaw joint SHOULD be - this is going to be determined by the scans. 

4. When the discs reattach to the joint, my jaw will not open and close in such a wobbly way, it will open and close like a normal up and down movement. 

5. Once the TMJ discs heal from the decompression due to that space between the bite (get reattached to the joints), the dentist says the jaw joint will set itself into place in its most comfortable position itself because the body wants to heal itself. 

6. The discs take around 1-3 months to heal depending on each person.

7. Widening/developing the jaw with the RN-sagittal takes around 12 months. 

8. Then as the optimal jaw position is reached, braces will be used to align all the teeth.

Link to the RN-Sagittal

http://www.tripleolab.com/lab-services/appliances/new-page-13/

What do you guys think? Anyone treated TMJ/similar symptoms with such a method? 

(btw, is it okay to disclose the name of dental clinics? I want to post a link with testimonials)