Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

Have you ever experienced pain in your jaw while chewing, yawning, or simply just opening your mouth? You may be suffering from something that we refer to as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD.) Many people may be more familiar with the term TMJ; however, the medical profession deemed that acronym to be a misleading term. TMJ stands for “Temporomandibular Joint,” which is a joint everyone has. The term TMJ does not necessarily indicate any pain or dysfunction present, which is why we have begun to use TMD to describe an issue with the jaw joint.

TMD is the most common cause of orofacial pain, which is accompanied by localized jaw discomfort, headaches, and transferred facial pain. TMD affects 5% of the population in the United States at any given time, and it is more common in women.