Home / Your Health / Health Library / Content Viewer

Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

En Español (Spanish Version)

Symptoms of TMD may occur in the head or neck.

Temporomandibular Joint : Areas of Pain

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.

Last reviewed February 2013 by Peter Lucas, MD; Brian Randall, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.