The temporomandibular joint is arguably the most intricate joint in the human body.It’s the only joint which both articulates (hinges) and translates (slides). Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a blanket term describing chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jaw to the skull. Numerous persons feel clicking or popping of their jaw when yawning, chewing, or even just talking.  The condition is considered TMJ disorder when there is pain. In more severe cases, TMJ disorder can include headaches and neck pain.

Many individuals with TMJ syndrome suffer from chronic stress.  Clenching of the teeth, biting nails, and grinding teeth at night can cause or exacerbate the condition.In these examples, treatments as varied as psychotherapy, meditation, and wearing a biteguard at night have been demonstrated to provide TMJ relief.

For several years I suffered TMJ on my right side, partially ascribable to grinding my teeth at night, and in part resultant of mostly chewing on the right side of my mouth. The pain was severe enough that if I slept on my right side, the next day that side of my face was too painful to touch.

My dentist noticed my molars on my right side showed unusual wear. The overdevelopment of the muscles used to clench the jaw shut causes the bones in the joint to pinch down on the bursa, a small sac. One easy, extremely good exercise involved pressing my fists underneath my jaw, and gently opening my jaw against the resistance produced by my hands.  Within a few weeks of daily practice, the pain was largely eliminated. 

I personally caution against the more common recommendation of a soft diet, as decreased activity can lead to further deconditioning.

Even as symptoms of TMJ can be misidentified as earache or impacted wisdom teeth, TMJ is occasionally misdiagnosed as originating from impacted molars. As with whatever medical condition, diagnosis ought to be provided by a professional, as the equivalent pain symptoms might be a serious abscess or deep infection.

The emerging field of neuromuscular dentistry has concerned itself with the specific issues causing an emerging from TMJ disorder. A neuromuscular dentist focuses not only on proper alignment of the teeth, but proper function of the joint and muscles.

As pain relievers such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are generally have only short-term effectiveness in treating TMJ pain (which is often neuralgic in nature), low doses of tricyclic antidepressants such as Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline are sometimes prescribed for pain modification.