TMJ Disorder Symptoms Guide: From Pain in Front of the Ear to Headaches and Tooth Wear
TMJ disorder symptoms fall into three groups: pain, limited jaw movement and joint noise. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA, 질병관리청) describes the most common symptom as pain that worsens with chewing or using the jaw, felt mainly in the chewing muscles, in front of the ear and at the joint, and sometimes spreading to the head and face. Habits such as grinding, painless enlargement of the chewing muscles and abnormal tooth wear can also appear together, so the symptoms should be looked at as a group.
Key facts
| Most common symptom | Pain that worsens with use of the jaw, such as chewing (source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)) |
|---|---|
| Where pain is felt | Chewing muscles, the area in front of the ear, the jaw joint (spreading to jaw, ear, head and face) (source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)) |
| Findings that may appear together | Grinding, painless enlargement of the chewing muscles, abnormal tooth wear (source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)) |
| Excluded from primary TMJ disorders | Pain caused by nerve, blood vessel, infection or tumor (source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)) |
| Course of symptoms | May improve on their own or go back and forth between better and worse (source: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)) |
What is the most common symptom of a TMJ disorder?
The most common is pain. It appears as pain right in front of the ear when chewing food or opening the mouth wide, as in a yawn, or as stiffness in the chewing muscles at the cheeks and temples that hurts when pressed.
The pain may not stay in the jaw but feel as if it spreads to the ear, head and whole face. As the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 국민건강보험공단) guidance notes, it is common to complain of pain in the jaw, ear, head and face together, so remembering where it hurt first helps the examination.
What do jaw sounds and limited mouth opening mean?
A click when opening or closing the mouth, or a gritty sound like sand grinding, is called joint noise and is one of the main signs of TMJ disorders. There are also cases with jaw sounds only and no pain or discomfort, so the sound alone does not decide whether to treat.
A mouth that does not open fully, a jaw that deviates to one side when opening, or a feeling of catching midway and then passing corresponds to limited jaw movement. If the sound stops one day and the mouth opens less, the structure inside the joint may have changed, so it is good to get care.
The KDCA also introduces asymmetry of the jaw shape as a symptom that can appear in TMJ disorders. Checking in a mirror whether the middle of the lower jaw drifts to one side when you open slowly makes it easier to explain at the visit.
Can a headache or ear pain also come from the jaw joint?
The KDCA explains that TMJ disorders consist of disorders of the jaw joint itself and disorders of the head and neck muscles, including tension-type headache. When the chewing muscles at the temples tense, it can feel like a tight headache at the side of the head.
The jaw joint is right in front of the ear, so joint pain may be felt as pain deep in the ear. If an ear exam finds nothing wrong but the area in front of the ear hurts when chewing, it is worth checking for a jaw joint cause.
How is a TMJ disorder distinguished from other conditions?
Facial pain caused by something other than the muscles and joint, such as nerve, blood vessel, infection or tumor, is not treated as a primary TMJ disorder. Cavities, gum infection, sinusitis and ear disease can also cause pain in a similar area, so the examination checks for these too.
Whether it is a TMJ disorder is judged by combining the interview, physical examination, any needed imaging, and an assessment of living environment and psychological state. Symptoms hard to explain as a TMJ disorder, such as fever or facial swelling, or numbness, should be reported separately.
- When the face is swollen and there is fever
- When feeling in the face or lips becomes dull
- When weight loss or a palpable lump comes with it
How is it good to record TMJ symptoms?
TMJ disorder symptoms may improve on their own or go back and forth, so symptoms may be mild on the day of the visit. Jotting down jaw symptoms briefly over several days to weeks greatly helps the clinician find contributing factors.
- Location and strength of pain (0-10), and the time of day it is worst
- How far the mouth can open (how many fingers fit)
- Which side makes sounds and what kind of sound
- Foods, postures and stressful situations that worsened symptoms
Common myths and facts
Myth: If the jaw makes sounds, it is always a TMJ disorder.
Joint noise is one of the main signs, but there are also cases of sound only, with no pain or limited function. It is judged together with pain and limited movement.
Myth: A TMJ disorder is a disease where only the jaw hurts.
The KDCA explains that pain in the jaw, ear, head and face, and head and neck muscle problems including tension-type headache, can appear together.
Frequently asked questions
My jaw feels stiff when I wake up. Is it a TMJ disorder?
If you have a habit of grinding or clenching during sleep, the chewing muscles can feel stiff in the morning. If this repeats or lasts into the day, have the muscles and joint checked at a dental clinic.
Can TMJ disorder symptoms appear on only one side?
There are cases where symptoms appear only in one joint or its muscles, not both sides. If you have a habit of chewing on one side only, that side may be more fatigued, so chewing habits are checked together.
Is worn teeth also related to the jaw joint?
The KDCA explains that abnormal tooth wear can accompany TMJ disorders. Teeth sometimes wear from grinding, so the dentist also looks at the wear pattern.
One side of my face seems bigger. Is that related?
Even without pain, enlargement of the chewing muscles can be seen together with a TMJ disorder. If muscle enlargement is suspected, go for an examination with your own observations of whether you clench your teeth during the day.
If the symptoms have gone away, can I stop treatment?
Symptoms can go up and down, so they may have improved only temporarily. If you are in TMJ treatment, rather than stopping on your own, report your progress at the next visit and adjust the plan.
Related topics
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
- Jaw Clicking Sounds
- When to See a Dentist for TMJ
- TMJ Disorder Causes
References
- Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Health Information Portal: temporomandibular disorders
- National Health Insurance Service non-covered information portal, health information by disease: temporomandibular disorders
- Ministry of Health and Welfare: press release on health insurance treatment of temporomandibular disorders (2016)