The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) plays the role of a sliding hinge which connects the jawbone to the skull. Each side of the jaw consists of a single joint on each side and disorder in the temporomandibular joint leads to pain in the jaw joint and the muscles that control the movement of the jaw. It is not very easy to determine the real cause of a TMJ as there are different factors that lead to the condition including, genes, jaw injury and arthritis. Typically, the pain can be easily managed and can be treated without any surgical procedures. Surgery is usually the last resort and is carried out when traditional non-surgical procedures are not effective.

The different symptoms of TMJ include :

  1. Pain in the jaw
  2. Tenderness in the jaw
  3. Pain in the temporomandibular joint
  4. Pain in and around the ear
  5. Discomfort while chewing or biting
  6. Difficulty opening and closing the joint

The different causes of TMJ include :

  1. The disk starts to erode and is not aligned.
  2. Arthritis may cause damage to the cartilage of the joint.
  3. The joint is damaged due to a serious impact or accident.