Put a finger on your face just in front of one ear. If you open and close your mouth, you’ll feel a bulge as your mouth moves. That’s your temporomandibular (tem-puh-roe-man-DIB-u-lar) joint, also known as the TMJ.
The TMJ is similar to a ball-and-socket joint, just like the hips. When it doesn’t function properly, you might have trouble eating, drinking and talking. Problems in the joint and surrounding muscles can include a clicking sound, pain, headaches and soreness.
It’s estimated that about one-third of adults will experience temporomandibular disorders at some point in life, with women at double the rate of men. These disorders are sometimes referred to as TMJ disorders.
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