Let's Live magazine. If you do, you're hardly alone. The American Dental Association estimates that 10 million Americans suffer from the condition, whose symptoms may range from mild to debilitating. The epicenters of TMJ disease are the body's two temporomandibular joints, located just in front of the ears. The joints connect the temporal bone of the skull and the lower jaw, also known as the mandible.
Dentists regard the temporomandibular joints as the most complex in the body.
They enable the jaw to move in multiple directions, opening and closing like a hinge and gliding back and forth like a sliding door. Healthy joints are extraordinarily flexibility and strong enough to withstand the enormous pressure and wear and tear of chewing food. TMJ disease, which is considered a form of arthritis, can develop when the joints move out of alignment. When teeth are crooked or don't mesh, they cannot grind food smoothly. This misalignment puts extra pressure on the joints and, not surprisingly, many people with TMJ disease have difficulty eating or feel pain when chewing.