Connection of Tinnitus & TMJ Disorder

TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint that connects the jaw to the skull. TMJ disorder causes a variety of symptoms including tinnitus, which is also known as ringing of the ears.

Definition

• Tinnitus is defined as an awareness of sounds such as ringing, hissing and buzzing that originate inside of the person hearing the sounds.

Connection

• Research done in the 1920s by Drs. David Goodfriend and James Costen made the connection between TMJ disorder and tinnitus upon observing that tinnitus was a common complaint of TMJ disorder patients.

Cause

• In 1962 the Pinto report stated that a ligament attached from the temporomandibular joint meniscus to the malleus of the ear causes some TMJ disorder patients to have tinnitus. Others believe that the proximity of the temporomandibular joint to nearby blood vessels and nerves is a cause of tinnitus.

Multiple Symptoms

• Tinnitus is one of the many complaints of TMJ disorder patients. At times it is the only symptom and at other times it is accompanied by other symptoms such as pain in the head, neck and back, dizziness, stuffy ears and impaired hearing.

Treatment

• Tinnitus caused by TMJ disorder is treated by dealing with the underlying causes of TMJ disorder, such as bruxism. Once dental therapy for TMJ disorder is complete, tinnitus that is a result of TMJD ceases.