Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to the side of your head. When it works well, it enables you to talk, chew, and yawn. For people with TMJ dysfunction, problems with the joint and muscles around it may cause :

• Pain that travels through the face, jaw, or neck
• Stiff jaw muscles
• Limited movement or locking of the jaw
• Painful clicking or popping in the jaw
• A change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together

Jaw pain may go away with little or no treatment. Treatment may include simple things you can do yourself, such as eating soft foods or applying ice packs. It may also include pain medicines or devices to insert in your mouth. In very rare cases, you might need surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Start Here

• More than Jaw Pain: TMJ Disorders Explained (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• TMJ (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) - PDF
• TMJ Disorders (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Panoramic Dental X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Tooth Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Less Is Often Best in Treating TMJ Disorders (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• TMJ and MPD (National Headache Foundation) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Normal TMJ in Motion (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Three-dimensional relationships between condylar volume and dentoskeletal characteristics in Class II...
• Article: Association of HMGB1 levels in synovial fluid with the severity of...
• Article: Does intra-articular injection of tenoxicam after arthrocentesis heal outcomes of temporomandibular...
• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction -- see more articles

Teenagers

• TMJ Disorders (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• TMJ disorders (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish