Symptoms

• Symptoms of TMJ may include stiffness, limited movement and sometimes locking of your jaw, painful grating or popping when you open or close your mouth, ear pain, neck and shoulder pain, chronic headaches, ringing in your ears, dizziness and changes in the alignment of your teeth.
  
  

Causes

• While causes are not always known, some possible factors include jaw injuries, dental procedures, arthritis, hormones, genetics, auto-immune disease, infections and grinding or clenching of your teeth.
  
  

Diagnosis

• TMJ.org indicates that because symptoms are similar to other conditions, such as abscessed or decayed teeth, headaches, nerve-related facial pain, sinus infections or ear infections, temporomandibular joint disorders are often difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is often reached after ruling out other possible conditions.
  
  

Treatment

• According to the Mayo Clinic, treatment of TMJ disease may include anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), arthrocentesis (irrigation of the joint) or arthroplasty. Arthroplasty is the name for surgical procedures such as repositioning of the joint's cartilage disk, removal of the disk or joint replacement.
  
  

Considerations

• Often the symptoms of TMJ are periodic and relatively mild, requiring minimal treatment. Insurance companies often do not pay for procedures related to TMJ according to TMJ.org. You should contact your carrier to determine coverage.