The most common symptoms are clicking/popping or grating sounds from the joints. This clicking is the condyle slipping on an off the dislocated articular disc. The grating sound is called crepitus and is often the sound of bone rubbing against bone when the disc is dislocated. The jaw may also lock open or closed.

A second common symptom is headache or head pain. TMJ head pain is most often felt in the temples, around the eyes, in the back of the head and the neck, or in the shoulders. TMJ headaches are often described like “wearing a hat two sizes too small”, for the pain rings the head.

Clenching or grinding of the teeth (bruxism) is a common symptom of TMJ. The abnormal forces and strain produced by tired, spastic muscles can refer pain into the neck, face or head. These muscle tension headaches can be so severe that they are confused with migraine headaches. Unfortunately, the patients are often not examined for TMJ and the “migraine” treatment works poorly. Further, the teeth themselves may become sensitive or painful due to TMJ and/or bruxism. The teeth may be cold sensitive or painful upon chewing . The pain will most commonly be diffuse, but may feel to be in a single tooth. Too often, this tooth pain resulted in unnecessary root canals or extraction of teeth.

Ear problems without an identifiable source are often symptoms of TMJ. The common ear problems associated with TMJ are ringing/buzzing, fullness or a stuffy feeling. There may even appear to be a hearing loss in an otherwise normal appearing ear. Patients may feel dizzy or disoriented when suffering from TMJ.

Depression and sleep disturbances are common with TMJ. These two symptoms are the result of chronic painful nervous input to the CNS from TMJoints, ligaments and muscles. A stated before, this bombardment of the brain with pain signals heats up the reticular activating system, the “sentinel” of the brain. Because the aroused brain does not allow the body to reach the deeper stages of sleep, the patient will awaken often at night. The patient then feels tired or listless in the morning instead of the refreshing feeling of good nights’ sleep. The depression is commonly the result of two mechanisms. Again, the trigeminal nerve plays a major role in chronic pain from anywhere in the body. With TMJ, the trigeminal nucleus processes the pain information carried by the nerves. The TN then relays the pain signals to the thalamus of the brain. The thalamus acts a sorting mechanism to route the signals to the proper areas of the cerebral cortex for interpretation and reaction. This is like mail coming into the central post office, being sorted and then delivered to the right addresses. The thalamus acts like the central post office. The thalamus also relays signals to the limbic system. The limbic system is in control of emotions. The chronic pain signals cause the depression in the emotions. The second mechanism for depression involves the depletion of neurotransmitters in the brain. When the brain is subjected to chronic painful impulses, it will attempt to dull or stop those impulses using the Descending Inhibitory System (DIS). The DIS works overtime to control the pain until the signaling chemicals, the neurotransmitters, are depleted. The flood gates are now opened for more noxious signals to get through not only to the conscious level of the brain, but also into the limbic system enhancing the depression and other emotional aspects of pain.

As you can see there are many possible symptoms associated with TMJ. The head and neck are the most complicated parts of the body. Other health problems can present some of the same symptoms as TMJ. TMJ is called the Great Imposter because of the overlapping symptoms. Therefore, it is especially important to have a proper diagnosis made before beginning treatment.

Self-assessment Test for TMJ:

If you think that you may have TMJ, answer the following questions:

• Do your TMJoints click, pop or make a grating sound?
• Do your jaws ever lock?
• Do you have frequent headaches?
• Do your headaches involve the temples, around the eyes and/or the back of the head?
• Do you clench or grind your teeth?
• Are your teeth sensitive to temperature changes or chewing.
• Have you had unexplained toothaches?
• Is it painful to open widely or to move your jaw from side to side?
• Do your neck and shoulder muscles ache or are tender to pressure?
• Do you have a ringing or buzzing in your ears?
• Do you frequently feel dizzy?
• Do you have trouble sleeping through the night?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep?
• Is it had to get back to sleep once you awaken?
• Do you wake up tired and/or with sore jaw muscles?

The more the above answers are “yes”, the greater the chance that you have TMJ. On the page below, chart the symptoms that you have. A copy of the form may be printed. Go to the printable form. Again, the greater the number of symptoms that you have, the greater the chance that you have a TMJ problem. This section is not meant to provide a diagnosis. If you are concerned and wish to be examined, please contact our office or a qualified dentist in your area. Few physicians or dentists are trained to treat TMJ. Be certain to see a doctor both knowledgeable and experienced in the treatment of TMJ and has credentials in the field.

Symptom Chart:

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