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If you’ve been dealing with jaw pain, clicking, or discomfort, there’s a good chance that at some point, your dentist has suggested a night guard. And for some people, it’s exactly what they need—especially if teeth grinding (bruxism) is the primary concern.

But if your main issue is TMJ dysfunction, a standard night guard might not be the right solution.

One of the biggest questions I get from patients with TMJ pain is: What do you actually do in physical therapy for it?

The answer? It depends on your specific diagnosis.

If you’ve been struggling with jaw pain, headaches, clicking, or facial tension, you may be surprised to learn that temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD or TMJ) isn’t always covered by your health insurance—even when it’s causing real, daily problems. But we can fix that!

If you’re dealing with TMJ pain, one of the first questions people ask is: Will my insurance cover treatment?

The short answer? Almost always medical insurance, not dental insurance.

If you’re dealing with jaw pain, clicking, headaches, or other TMJ-related symptoms, you might be wondering where to start. Do you need to see a dentist? A specialist? A surgeon? Or should you just try to tough it out and hope it goes away?

A lot of people go years dealing with jaw pain, headaches, or weird ear symptoms without ever realizing that their jaw joint might be the problem. TMJ dysfunction (or TMD) is incredibly common, but because it shows up in ways people don’t expect, it often gets misdiagnosed or ignored. If you’ve been struggling with symptoms that no one can seem to explain, your jaw might actually be the missing piece.

So how do you know if TMJ dysfunction is what’s causing your symptoms? Here are five of the most common signs I see in my patients.