Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Symptoms of TMD may occur in the head or neck.
Temporomandibular Joint : Areas of Pain
IMAGE
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
A number of symptoms may suggest TMD , including the following:
  • Pain in the temporomandibular joint
  • Popping, clicking, or grating sounds or sensations in the temporomandibular joint while eating and/or drinking
  • A sensation of the jaw “catching” or “locking” briefly, while attempting to open or close the mouth, or while chewing
  • Difficulty opening the mouth completely
  • Pain in the jaw
  • Facial pain
  • Muscle pain/spasm in the area of the temporomandibular joint
  • Headache
  • Ear pain
  • Neck pain
  • Swelling on one or both sides of the face

References

Siccoli MM. Facial pain: a clinical differential diagnosis. Lancet Neurol. 2006;5:257-267.

TMJ. American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tmj.cfm. Updated December 2010. Accessed April 5, 2013..

TMJ. American Dental Association Mouth Healthy website. Available at: http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/tmj.aspx. Accessed April 5, 2013.

TMJ (temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders). National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research website. Available at: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/TMJ. Updated March 21, 2013. Accessed April 5, 2013.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated November 27, 2012. Accessed April 5, 2013.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: Peter Lucas, MD; Brian Randall, MD
  • Review Date: 02/2013
  • Update Date: 04/05/2013