What is TMJ

The TMJ or temporomandibular joint is the connection between the lower jaw and the skull at a place called the Glenoid Fossa. Every human body has two of them but not every one has the dysfunction associated with it. The buffer between the mandible (lower jaw) and the skull is called the disc which is mostly made of cartilage. The muscle connection to this disc is similar to a single bone and is a very complex structure.

The two parts of TMJ and the disc in between are held together by ligament and in general the unit is connected and held together by quite a few muscles. The nerve system associated with the TMJ is the trigeminal nerve and it is responsible for transferring the pain to the cortex of an individual’s brain to be registered as what we receive as pain.

Since the jaw and its joints are made of live tissue, they can be repaired. This requires the right opportunity, the right nutrition and time.