Do you have a debilitating headache or an unbearable facial pain you have been suffering for a long? You might be suffering from TMJ disorder or TMD; it’s estimated that tens of millions of men, women, and children suffer from these conditions, many of whom have no knowledge of their condition or how to seek treatments from a TMJ Doctor or Dentist.

The temporomandibular joint or TMJ is the joint that allows the lower jaw to open and close. The TMJ is a hanging joint, and it functions differently than any other joint in the body. The TMJ joint rotates like most joints in the body, but it also slides forward to allow for the increased opening during eating. This process is called translation, and it essentially is a controlled dislocation.

However, this translation of the mandible is the source of some of the problems that are associated with the temporomandibular joint. This condition is commonly referred to as TMJ disorder, medically called TMD or “temporomandibular dysfunction.”

For the joint to accomplish this complex translation movement, it needs multiple muscles and a cartilaginous disc in the joint to act together. This activity allows the mandible to open and close without any limitation, clicking, or pain. Any defect of the disc or muscles will result in TMD.