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Overview Overview

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) can cause pain and stiffness around your jaw, ear and temple.

Symptoms of temporomandibular disorder include pain around your jaw and a clicking or grinding noise when you move your jaw.

Temporomandibular disorder usually gets better on its own. You can ease pain with painkillers, ice packs and gentle massage.

Check if you have temporomandibular disorder (TMD)

Signs of TMD include:

pain around your jaw, ear and temple
clicking, popping or grinding noises when you move your jaw
a headache around your temples
difficulty opening your mouth fully
your jaw locking when you open your mouth

The pain may be worse when chewing and when you feel stressed.

TMD can also stop you getting a good night's sleep.

Do

eat soft food, like pasta, omelettes and soup
take paracetamol or ibuprofen
hold ice packs or heat packs to the jaw, whichever feels better
massage the painful jaw muscles
try to find ways to relax

Don't

do not chew gum or pen tops
do not bite food with your front teeth
do not yawn too wide
do not bite your nails
do not clench your teeth – apart from when eating, your teeth should be apart
do not rest your chin on your hand

Medical treatments

A GP may suggest:

stronger painkillers
relaxation techniques to reduce stress
ways to improve your sleep

A GP might suggest you see:

a dentist, if teeth grinding might be an issue
a psychologist, if stress and anxiety are making your pain worse

If these treatments do not help, you may be referred to a specialist in joint problems to discuss other options, such as painkilling injections or surgery.