The jaw joint just in front of the ear is the “TMJ”, which stands for the TemporoMandibular Joint. Individuals experiencing orofacial pain (pain in the head, jaw, face, neck and/or ear areas) often refer to this as “TMJ”. Therefore; the term TMJ is actually the name of the joint and not a diagnosis. There are multiple diagnoses to designate the conditions of orofacial pain that are often lumped under the term TMJ.

The TMJ is the most complex joint of the body and receives more stress and strains than any other joint in the body. Overall, the TMJ is one part of an extensive system that allows us to chew, talk, smile, swallow, breathe, etc. Muscles, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, bones, teeth, skin and other soft tissues are all components, along with the TMJ, to allow humans full use of the jaw system. To fully understand abnormalities that may develop in this system it is useful to have knowledge of the structures in their normal state.

The TMJ (TemporoMandibular Joint) designates the Temporal bone (the bone of the skull) and the mandible (the lower jaw bone) that come together to make the TMJ (jaw joint) in front of the ear.