TMJ disorders – Symptoms and Causes

The temporomandibular (tem-puh-roe-mun-DIB-u-lur) joint (TMJ) connects your jawbone to your skull beneath the ear, serving as a type of natural sliding hinge working with our muscles of mastication to make a wide range of movement possible as we speak, chew, yawn, etc.

TMJ disorders — also referred to as “temporomandibular disorder” or TMD — can cause pain in this area, sometimes temporary. In many cases, the pain from TMJ disorders is only temporary and can be treated with nonsurgical options. When other “appliance treatment” measures fail and a patient’s jaw can’t open, is dislocated, or is revealed to have severe degeneration, TMJ Surgery can offer relief if successful.