The TMJ Learning Center

Updated: October 2026

If you’ve been living with ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears and nothing seems to help, your jaw may be part of the picture. Your temporomandibular joints (TMJs) sit just in front of your ears. When those joints or the muscles around them are strained, your ears can feel it too. Here’s how to tell whether your tinnitus might be connected to TMJ, and what to do about it.

How Common is Tinnitus?

You’re far from alone. A 2022 systematic review in JAMA Neurology estimated that more than 740 million adults worldwide experience tinnitus. In the U.S., over 25 million adults, about 10% of the adult population, have experienced some form of it.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is hearing a sound that has no outside source. It can sound like ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or whooshing, and it’s most common in people 45 and older. Noise exposure, certain medications, ear infections, and head injuries are well-known causes. A connection to the jaw is less familiar, but it’s one we see often in our practice.

How Can TMJ Cause Tinnitus?

Your ears and jaws are close neighbors, and they’re more connected than most people realize. Parts of the middle ear and the jaw develop from the same tissue before birth. Small muscles inside the ear also share a nerve supply with your chewing muscles.

Because of these links, researchers believe that strain in your jaw joints, and in the muscles and ligaments that control them, can affect your ears and contribute to tinnitus. Doctors sometimes call this somatic tinnitus, meaning tinnitus that changes when you move or press on your jaw, head, or neck.

What Are the Signs Your Tinnitus Is Linked to TMJ?

Ask yourself these five questions. If you answer yes to one or more, it’s worth having your jaw evaluated.

1. Does your tinnitus change from day to day? If the loudness or type of sound shifts from one day to the next, something that also changes daily, like tension in your jaw muscles, may be playing a role.
2. Does it change when you open, close, or slide your jaw? Try opening and closing your mouth slowly, or moving your jaw forward and back. A change in the sound when you do this is one of the clearest clues that your jaw is involved.
3. Does chewing make it louder? If eating, especially tough or chewy foods, makes your tinnitus more noticeable, your jaw joints and muscles may be contributing.
4. Does clenching your teeth change it? Gently press your back teeth together for a few seconds. If the sound gets louder, softer, or changes pitch, mention it to a specialist. Many people clench or grind without realizing it, especially during stressful periods or while they sleep.
5. Does turning or tilting your head make it worse? Your jaw and neck work as a team. If head and neck movements change your tinnitus, muscle tension in this area may be a factor.

When Should You See a Doctor Right Away?

Some tinnitus needs prompt medical attention before anything else. Contact your doctor soon if you have:

• Tinnitus that comes with sudden hearing loss
• Tinnitus in only one ear
• A pulsing or whooshing sound that keeps time with your heartbeat
• Tinnitus along with dizziness, or weakness or numbness in your face

What Should You Do If You Think Your Tinnitus Is TMJ-Related?

Step 1: See an ENT first. An Ear, Nose and Throat doctor can check your ears and hearing and rule out other medical causes.

Step 2: See a board-certified orofacial pain specialist. Orofacial pain was recognized as a dental specialty by the American Dental Association in 2020. These specialists have advanced training in the jaw joints, the jaw muscles, and the nerves of the face.

At your evaluation, we look at your medical and dental history and ask about what’s going on in your life. We ask about stress because it often shows up as clenching and grinding, habits that overwork the jaw.

How is TMJ-Related Tinnitus Treated?

Treatment focuses on calming the jaw joints and muscles. Your plan may include one or more of the following:

1. Habit awareness: You learn to notice when you clench or grind your teeth during the day, so you can let your jaw relax.
2. Jaw exercises: Gentle stretches help loosen tight jaw muscles.
3. Muscle therapy: Trigger point injections or dry needling and Botox can relieve overworked jaw and neck muscles.
4. Physical therapy: Many physical therapists are trained in techniques that ease TMJ symptoms.
5. Oral appliances: A custom appliance, often worn at night, reduces the strain that grinding and clenching put on your jaw.
6. Relaxation techniques: Breathing and mindfulness practices can lower the tension that feeds clenching.

If you’re already working with an ENT or audiologist on approaches like sound therapy, these treatments can work alongside that care.

Getting the Right Care

Because tinnitus overlaps with several specialties, good care means coordinating with ENTs, audiologists, and physical therapists. That way, if more involved treatment is genuinely needed, you get it, and if it isn’t, you aren’t steered toward care you don’t need.

Wherever you are, this is the kind of evaluation worth insisting on. The American Board of Orofacial Pain has a directory of board-certified orofacial pain specialists who will take the time to confirm what’s actually driving your symptoms before any treatment is discussed.

To learn more about how your jaw and ears interact, read our full overview of the tinnitus and jaw connection, or visit our tinnitus page.

About the Author

Dr. Donald R. Tanenbaum is a co-founder of New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain. He provides care at our Manhattan and Hauppauge locations. He is also the author of Lockjaw: A Human Problem and co-author of Doctor, Why Does My Face Still Ache?.

Frequently Asked Questions About TMJ and Tinnitus

Can TMJ cause ringing in only one ear?
Yes. TMJ problems often affect one side more than the other, so tinnitus can be one-sided. Because one-sided tinnitus can also have other causes, have an ENT check it first.

Can TMJ-related tinnitus go away?
For many people, tinnitus improves as the jaw problem is treated. Results vary from person to person, and an evaluation is the best way to know what to expect in your case.

Will a night guard help tinnitus caused by TMJ?
If clenching or grinding is contributing, a custom oral appliance can reduce the strain on your jaw at night, which may ease your symptoms. Store-bought guards fit differently and aren’t a substitute for an evaluation.

Should I see a dentist or an ENT for tinnitus?
Start with an ENT to rule out ear and other medical causes. If your tinnitus changes when you move your jaw, clench, or chew, a board-certified orofacial pain specialist is the next step.

Does stress make TMJ tinnitus worse?
It can. Stress often leads to clenching and grinding, which strains the jaw and can make tinnitus more noticeable.