The joint between the upper and lower jaws, just in front of the ears, is called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ for short). A small disc of cartilage separates the bones of the joint, much like in the knee joint, so that the mandible may slide easily. Each time you chew you move the joint. But you also move it every time you talk and each time you swallow (every three minutes or so).
It is, therefore, one of the most frequently used of all joints in the body and one of the most complex.
The TMJ can occasionally cause problems, which your dentist can help diagnose and treat.
