TMJ Disorders

The lower jaw, or mandible, is hinged to the rest of the head in front of the ears and just below the temples on both sides. The hinge is called the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. Unlike almost all other joints of the body, both right and left TMJ’s must move simultaneously just as a door with two hinges attached must rotate about both hinges to open or close. Unlike the door, both TMJ hinges do not have to move identically, since we can also shift our lower jaw from side to side as well as from closed to open. Because of its complex nature, the TMJ may sometimes experience disturbances in function. Many of these disturbances are minor in nature and may be corrected easily if detected early.

Signs of such problems include jaw tightness and “clicking” or “popping” sounds heard while either opening or closing or both. If such conditions should persist beyond a few days it is advisable to contact your dentist. Often he or she may refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for evaluation and diagnosis. A review of the symptoms as well as examination and x-ray will most often lead to an explanation of the problem and in most instances relatively simple, nonsurgical means are used to correct it. Sometimes further studies, such as MRI, may be necessary and sometimes a referral may be made to a different dental specialist for management. Surgery is rarely indicated.

If you should experience any of these symptoms and they last beyond a few days please contact AOMS at (973) 376-1144.

TMJ Surgery Overview

For a brief narrated overview of the TMJ surgery process, please click the image below. It will launch our flash educational MiniModule in a separate window that may answer some of your questions about TMJ surgery.

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