What is TMJ dysfunction?

TMJ dysfunctions are conditions affecting your jaw joints and surrounding muscles and ligaments. These conditions can cause several issues, including jaw pain, headaches and difficulty opening and closing your mouth.

You might hear people call these conditions TMJ. But “TMJ” refers to your actual jaw joint, while “TMD” stands for temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Another name is temporomandibular joint disorder.

You have two TMJs (temporomandibular joints) — one on each side of your face, just in front of your ears. Your TMJs connect your lower jawbone to your skull and help with movements like chewing and speaking.

Between 5% and 12% of the general adult population have some form of TMJ disorder. The condition is twice as common in women. People between the ages of 20 and 40 are most likely to develop TMD.

Types of TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction)

Healthcare providers classify TMDs into three categories:

1. Disorders of your jaw joints.
2. Disorders of your chewing muscles.
3. Headaches that result from TMD.

The first video represents a healthy TMJ, the second video is an unhealthy TMJ with a disc displacement. 

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