Signs and Symptoms of TMJ Disorder

Symptoms of TMJ

To help you understand how TMJ causes its symptoms, we will break them down by the areas of the body they affect. However, we’ll start with an overall list so you can easily see which ones you might have. TMJ symptoms include:

Few people experience all these TMJ symptoms. However, if you have three or more on the list, you should contact Westchester County TMJ dentist Dr. Mejia for a comprehensive diagnosis.

Jaw-Related TMJ Symptoms

Jaw-related symptoms are common in TMJ. After all, the temporomandibular joints are your jaw joints. However, not all people with TMJ experience noticeable jaw symptoms. Jaw pain can come in several different forms, and may have a dull, aching character or might be a sharp, electric pain. Jaw pain is common (though not universal) in all types of TMJ.

Jaw noises are more common in disc displacement (DD) and degenerative joint disease (DJD) forms of TMJ. Popping and clicking sounds in the jaw joint are usually a sign that the cushioning disc in your temporomandibular joint is slipping out of place. The pop or click occurs when the disc slips back into place. This could be a warning sign that your jaw will eventually lock, often caused by a disc that won’t slip back into place. A grinding sound in the joint means that the disc is out of place or has broken down, allowing the bones of the joint to scrape against each other, which can wear them down and set up joint failure, as well as severe joint pain.

Irregular jaw motion is also commonly linked with DD or DJD. In DD, you might notice that your jaw jumps suddenly at the same time you hear the pop or click. This irregular motion is linked to the disc slipping in and out of place. A damaged jaw joint might also cause your jaw joint to have an irregular or crooked motion.

Limited jaw motion could be linked to DD, DJD, or myofascial pain disorder (MPD). Displaced or damaged discs might make it hard for your jaw to move through its natural range of motion. MPD can make it painful or impossible to fully open or close your jaw.

Normally, a jaw that’s stuck open or closed is linked to DD or DJD. Trying to force your jaw loose when it sticks can cause further damage to the jaw joints.

Mouth and Tooth-Related TMJ Symptoms

It’s also easy to see how TMJ can cause symptoms in your mouth. Everybody bites their lips, cheeks, or tongue occasionally. However, if this occurs to you frequently, it might be a sign that your jaw motion is irregular, possibly outside a normal type of motion.

TMJ can cause tooth wear in many ways. Among the most common is related to clenching and grinding. When your jaw muscles are trying to find a comfortable position, they might clench your jaw, causing your teeth to scrape against each other.

Clenching can also cause chipped and cracked teeth. Plus, TMJ can sometimes lead to excessive force on some of your teeth, putting them at risk of chipping and cracking. Tools like T-Scan help Westchester TMJ dentist Dr. Mejia track the bite forces on each of your teeth to detect this problem so she can prevent tooth damage and rebalance your bite.

TMJ can cause toothaches because a tooth is chipped or cracked, exposing the sensitive pulp inside. However, it can make teeth hurt simply from recurring pressure on the teeth, which makes them inflamed and tender.

TMJ Symptoms of the Head and Neck

Headaches and migraines are among the most common TMJ-related symptoms. We explain the mechanisms behind this type of pain on its dedicated page.

TMJ-related face pain can come from several different sources. Often, the pain is simply sore jaw muscles. Jaw muscles extend almost the entire length of the face, from the bottom of the chin to the side of the head behind the eyes. This type of pain is more likely to be sore and achy. Sharp, electric face pains–as well as strange areas of tingling and numbness (synesthesia)–might be linked to jaw muscles putting pressure on the nerves that bring messages between the face and the brain.

Neck pain often occurs because the muscles of the jaw and neck work together to support and balance the head. When the jaw muscles are sore, tired, or overworked, they might not do their part, forcing neck muscles to work harder. Other times, jaw imbalance can make it harder for neck muscles to keep the head balanced. This affects not just the neck muscles, but the alignment of the vertebrae, which can cause more effects further down the spine.

Ear Symptoms Related to TMJ

You might be surprised to learn that ear-related symptoms are very common in TMJ. Perhaps four out of five TMJ sufferers experience ear symptoms. These symptoms are most common for people with the MPD type of TMJ.

There are several possible reasons why TMJ could cause ear symptoms. First, there’s the closeness of your ear to the joint. Your inner ear is housed in your temporal bone, which is the temporo- part of the temporomandibular joint. Pressure on the temporal bone could impact these very delicate components.

In addition, some of the delicate ear bones evolved from jaw bones in primitive mammals and reptiles. These bones retain some of their connections to the jaw, so jaw disorders could trigger ear symptoms via these connections.

TMJ Symptoms Elsewhere in the Body