Here are 7 different TMJ Symptoms (in no particular order) that you can use as a TMJ disorder benchmark.

But, you should know that this list doesn’t replace a thorough TMJ assessment.  The best way to determine if you have TMJ disorder or require TMJ treatment is to speak with a qualified medical professional.

TMJ Symptoms:

• Ear pain, ringing or buzzing in the ears, and / or a fullness or a stuffy feeling without any ear infection, could be related to a structural problem within the temporomandibular joint.
• Clenching and grinding of your teeth (also called bruxism) The clenching and grinding of your teeth can put additional stress on already tired, overworked muscles.
• Pain can be referred to the head, neck, face, shoulders or back
• Headaches are another common complaint of TMJ disorder. It’s not uncommon for headaches associated with TMJ to be so severe they can be confused with migraine headaches. TMJ headaches are often felt in your temple area, behind the eyes, and/or at the back of your head with pain radiating to the neck and shoulders.
• Another very common sign of TMJ disorder is a “temporomandibular” joint clicking, popping, or grinding sounds. Clicking noises come from the “condyle”, which moves forward when the patient opens the mouth. The condyle slips on and off the dislocated disc. The grating sound, called “crepitus”, is the sound of the bone and occurs later on when the dislocated discs become completely deformed.
• Your jaw may either lock open or closed.
• Loss of hearing, dizziness and loss of balance have also been seen in TMJ disorders.  If the condyle in your jaw is set too far back, and your disc dislocated forward, it can cause some of your chewing muscles to go into spasm, causing some of the symptoms mentioned above.

And here is something else you should know about TMJ disorders: many symptoms overlap symptoms of other conditions.  They actually mimic these very symptoms. As a result, TMJ disorder can often be overlooked.