Lorraine Carroll MPhty, BSc Physio, CMA

You can point to the teeth that hurt. It aches when you chew or bothers you through the day. Yet your dentist’s assessment hasn’t found a dental problem that explains it.

Women do appear to experience TMD more often than men. But that does not mean jaw pain is simply a “women’s problem”.

Many people with temporomandibular disorder, often called TMD, notice symptoms in places that seem separate from the jaw joint. You might feel aching in or around the ear, pressure or fullness in the ear, temple pain, headaches, facial aching, tooth pain, neck stiffness, or pain at the base of the skull. This can be confusing, especially when ear checks, dental checks, scans, or hearing tests come back normal. It may leave you wondering, “If nothing is showing up, why does it still hurt?” The...