Welcome to The TMJ Association!

We're glad you're here. You're not alone.

The TMJ Association, Ltd. (TMJA) is a nonprofit, patient advocacy organization whose mission is to improve the quality of health care and lives of everyone affected by Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). For over 25 years we have shared reliable information on TMD with people like you and invite you to read our website.

Terrie Cowley - President and Co-Founder

More Info

The TMJ Association's eighth scientific meeting, Sept. 11-13, 2016 in Bethesda Maryland, will focus on how methods of Precision Medicine can improve the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and the associated comorbid conditions. These conditions include vulvodynia, chronic tension-type and migraine headaches, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, chronic low back pain and endometriosis.

Current diagnostics and treatments do not reflect recent findings in the state of the science and fall short in meeting the needs of patients. Successful application of Precision Medicine technology to TMD and its comorbidities will enable providers to classify TMD patients into subgroups according to specific diagnostic criteria and lead to tailored, more effective treatments to relieve their pain and suffering.

Presentations and discussions will focus on the challenges of obtaining precise molecular and phenotypic measurements from thousands of patients, repeatedly and efficiently. These challenges include development of methods to analyze and integrate large data sets from multiple modalities such as clinical measurements, imaging data, DNA sequence variants, and epigenetic profiles. The meeting will engage key scientific leaders, National Institutes of Health representatives and patient advocates and will yield recommendations to advance research in the field. Click here to view the meeting agenda.

Additional Meeting Information

http://www.tmj.org/site/content/2016TMJAScienceMeeting

Think You May Have Temporomandibular Disorders?

1) FIRST, try eating soft foods, using ice packs, and avoiding extreme jaw movements, like yawning and gum chewing. Short-term use of over-the-counter or prescription pain medicines may also provide relief.

2) AVOID treatments that cause permanent changes in the bite or jaw. This includes crown work, bridge work or orthodontics to change the bite, grinding down teeth (bite adjustment), or repositioning splints.

3) AVOID surgical treatment, where possible. There have been no long-term studies to test the safety and effectiveness of these procedures.

The TMJ Association is the only organization fighting for the best science that will lead to a greater understanding of Temporomandibular Disorders and safe and effective treatments. As a nonprofit, 501(c)3 patient advocacy organization, we rely solely on the generous donations from people like you to fund vital TMD research and awareness efforts. Make a tax-deductible contribution today! For additional ways you can help, click here.

If you purchase items from Amazon, YOU can help raise money for The TMJ Association with every purchase. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The TMJ Association. It's like regular Amazon but with the wonderful opportunity to help raise money for your TMJA. Click here to get started. Happy shopping!

Iraida’s Story

I underwent bilateral TMJ implant surgery in 2009, hoping to get relief from severe pain. Following the operation, my struggle became more than just coping with the daily pain, but was made worse by the lack of compassion and understanding from health care professionals. Instead of lending an ear to my struggles, my complaints were (and are) ignored. Seeking to alleviate the pain from the first implant surgery, I underwent a second surgery to replace one of the implants, but, damage to the trigeminal nerve had already been done. As a result, I became a trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patient. In short, I sought help for TMJ pain, underwent multiple surgeries, and ended up with permanent nerve damage and constant excruciating pain How did this happen? This is my story.
This is my story.

CFC 2017 Fall Campaign Begins

If you are a government employee who understands the full impact of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) on individuals, their loved ones and society-at-large, please help us to continue to change the face of TMJ by designating The TMJ Association as your Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity #12102.

Patients Needed in Baltimore MD Area: Study on Genetics and Facial, Jaw and Headache Pain

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Nursing asked us to post the following announcement on a research opportunity at the University of Maryland.

Hot & Cold Packs: Most Effective Therapy

In a survey the TMJA conducted of TMD patients, the most frequently used intervention (65% of respondents) was thermal therapy (hot or cold compresses) to the jaw; these were also found by 74% of the respondents to result in a reduction of symptoms.

Emerging Research on Orofacial Pain

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine published a report documenting that at least 100 million U.S. adults-more than the number afflicted by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined-suffer from common chronic pain conditions that persist for ≥3 mo ("Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research,").

Painful Temporomandibular Disorder: Decade of Discovery from OPPERA Studies

In 2006, the OPPERA project (Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment) set out to identify risk factors for development of painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A decade later, this review summarizes its key findings.

Who is affected by TMJ disorders (TMD)? What are the causes, symptoms, and treatments? How are they diagnosed? Find answers to all your TMD questions.