What Causes TMJ?

Many people believe that TMJ disorders are due to a “bad bite.” But really, the way your teeth come together does not cause the problem. The way we know this is that many people without any teeth still have TMJ problems.

Evidence suggests that TMJ disorders develop for many reasons but often are due to muscle and skeletal/joint issues. You might clench or grind your teeth, tightening your jaw muscles and stressing your TM joint. You may have a damaged jaw joint due to injury or disease. Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or stretch or tear the muscle ligaments. As a result, the disk, which is made of fibrous cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position. Whatever the cause, the results may include a misaligned bite, pain, clicking, or grating noise when you open your mouth, or trouble opening your mouth wide.