How can I tell if I have TMJ dysfunction?

If you answer yes to 13 or more of these questions, you should call our office to schedule a complete examination.

• Do you have a grating, clicking, cracking or popping sound in either or both jaws when you chew?
• Do you have sensations of stuffiness, pressure or blockage, ringing, hissing or buzzing in your ears?
• Do you ever feel dizzy or faint?
• Is your jaw painful or locked when you wake up in the morning?
• Do you consider yourself chronically fatigued?
• Are you ever nauseated for no apparent reason?
• Is it impossible to swallow quickly five times in a row with the last swallow as easy as the first?
• Do your fingers sometimes go numb?
• Do you have pain or soreness in any of the following areas: jaw joints, upper jaw or teeth, lower jaw or teeth, side of neck, back of head, forehead, temples, tongue, chewing muscles or behind the eyes?
• Is it hard to move your jaw side-to-side or forward and backward?
• Do you gulp your food, swallow it whole or have difficulty chewing it?
• Do you have back teeth missing?
• Have you had extensive dental crowns and bridgework?
• Do you clench your teeth during the day?
• Do you grind your teeth at night? (Ask someone else).
• Do you ever have a headache when you wake up?
• Have you had whiplash injury?
• Have you worn a cervical collar or had neck traction?
• Have you ever had a blow to the chin, face or head?
• Have you reached the point where drugs no longer relieve your symptoms?
• Does chewing gum start your symptoms?
• Is it painful or is there soreness when you press on your jaw joints or on the cheeks just below?
• Does your jaw deviate to the left or right when you open wide?
• When your mouth is wide open, can you insert three fingers into your mouth vertically?