The jaw joint is officially called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull, specifically the mandible (lower jaw) to the temporal bone (side and base of the skull). There are actually two TMJ's, one on each side of the face, which allow for the jaw to slide and rotate.
While you might hear people refer to "TMJ" when discussing jaw problems, it's important to note that this is actually a shorthand for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). TMD is a broader term that encompasses a group of more than 30 conditions affecting the TMJ and the muscles controlling jaw movement.
