TMJ Disorder is a malfunction of the temporo-mandibular joint that connects your lower jaw. It is one of the most complex joints in the body, since it is capable of both rotating motion and sliding motion. That's what enables us to bite and chew.

If your occlusion (your bite) is out of harmony, or if you experience some trauma to this joint, it can lead to serious misery. TMJ disorder can be manifest in a range of symptoms all the way from an annoying click in the joint, to serious, constant, debilitating pain. Other symptoms can include limitation of opening, all the way from not being able to open your mouth all the way, to not being able to close it at all.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorder and jaw muscle tension

  •  A clicking noise in the joint
  •  Persistent headaches or migraines
  •  Excessive clenching
  •  Limitation of movement of your lower jaw
  •  Pain when chewing
  •  Inability to fit the teeth together in a relaxed position
  •  Tinnitis (ringing in the ears)
  •  Neck, shoulder, or back pain
  •  Other noises in the joint including grating or crunching (crepitus)
  •  Pain when you press on the joint or on the muscles attached to your lower jaw

Dr. Michael Sharp could be called a TMJ Dentist. While TMJ dentist isn't a recognized specialty (he is licensed as a general dentist) he has been treating TMJ disorders since 1981, and has trained with some of the leading TMJ experts in the world. He's a graduate of the Kois Center in Seattle, an institute renowned for its excellence in training dentists to treat TMJ problems. If you have any of these problems, please see us.