Temporomandibular joint disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder refers to pain or discomfort affecting the joint that connects the jaw to the skull, as well as the muscles that support jaw movement.
This disorder is often divided into 3 categories:
- Pain and dysfunction affecting the muscles
- Disruption within the jaw joint
- Degenerative changes within the joint
Pain can often be a dull ache that may travel into the face or neck and can also involve painful clicking, locking or popping of the jaw. The range of the joint may also be limited with a disorder present and may not allow the patient to fully open their mouth.
Pain in the area can be caused by a number of reasons. Issues with the joint itself can often causing locking or clicking that is associated with pain.
A hypermobile jaw may play a role in pain for some people, however TMJ disorder is more commonly associated with factors such as trauma, teeth grinding and stress.