The jaw joints and groups of muscles that let us chew, swallow, speak and yawn are known as the temporomandibular. When there’s a problem with how the joints and muscles work, you may have a temporomandibular disorder or TMD.
The symptoms of TMDs are:
Tender or sore jaw muscles. Your jaw may be even more painful when you wake up, clench your teeth, chew your food or yawn.
Problems opening or closing your mouth. It may be hard to open or close your jaws all the way, or your jaws may lock open or closed.
Headaches that you cannot explain. You may also feel pain in your neck. These may be caused by TMD, or by other problems.
