Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD)

The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jaw to your skull along each side of your head. When they work well, they enable you to talk and chew. The TMJ combines a hinge action with sliding motions. The parts of the bones that interact in the joint are covered with cartilage and are separated by a small disk, which normally keeps the movement smooth (Fig 1). For people with TMJ disorders (TMD), problems with the joint and muscles around it may cause: