TMJ Association TMJA

The TMJ Association

P.O. Box 26770
Milwaukee, WI 53226-0770
Tel:: (262) 432-0350
Fax: (262) 432-0375

E-mail: info@tmj.org

What is TMJ

Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJDs) refer to a complex and poorly understood set of conditions that can cause pain in the area of the jaw joint and associated muscles and/or problems using the jaw. Both or just one of the TM joints may be affected. TMJDs can affect a person's ability to speak, eat, chew, swallow, make facial expressions, and even breathe.

This section reflects the current state of knowledge regarding the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and science of TMJDs.

The TMJ Association (TMJA) continues to strive for its ultimate goal: the development of universal standards for safe, effective, affordable, research-based diagnostics, treatments, and prevention of Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders (TMJDs). We understand that patient education, advocacy, and the provision of accessible support systems are central to achieving that goal.

The TMJA serves patients, professionals, and the general public through a variety of educational, social, and advocacy programs:

• We represent the needs of patients by participating in government health care policy and research meetings, testifying before congressional committees, and working to promote temporomandibular joint research and development activities in all relevant government agencies. We recognize that educating elected officials is essential to directing attention to the prevalence, cost, and long-term pain and disability often associated with these complex disorders.

• Our periodicals inform readers of relevant legislative, scientific, and research news. The TMJ Communiqué, a general newsletter, and our TMJ Science journal, a research publication, provide concise, accurate, and newsworthy reports. Our educational materials provide a basic understanding of TMJDs and related treatment options. Publications

• We connect TMJ patients in need with other patients who have offered to provide one-on-one support. Our support contacts validate patients' often-doubted pain and disability, reduce isolation, promote self-esteem, and encourage self-reliance and coping skills. TMJ Resources - Support Contacts

• The TMJA is shaping a society in which the state of TMJDs and the pain and suffering they cause are recognized, and effectively managed with scientifically validated treatments.

Our Mission

The TMJ Association (TMJA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of healthcare and lives of everyone affected by temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders. We achieve our mission by:

• Encouraging basic and clinical research on TMJDs to provide greater understanding and safer and more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment, based on scientific evidence.
• Serving as a resource for the collection and dissemination of information on advances in research, treatment, insurance practices, patients' rights, and legal and ethical issues.
• Connecting TMJ patients with those who can provide knowledgeable support and empathetic understanding.
• Advocating for the needs of TMJ patients.
• Promoting awareness of TMJDs among the public, policy makers, research and healthcare communities.
• Communicating with elected officials, government agencies, professional organizations, community leaders and other policy makers concerning TMJ issues.
• Collaborating with a prestigious Scientific Advisory Board

Our History

The TMJ Association, Ltd., was founded in August 1986 by Terrie Cowley and Sandra Geilfuss, both sufferers of Temporomandibular Joint Disease. Their intent was to establish a support group which would meet monthly, to provide a forum for the exchange of experiences, information, understanding and emotional support for TMJ patients. The founders met with most of the professional practitioners treating this problem in the Milwaukee area in order to gain insight into the treatment approaches used by them and their attitudes toward the TMJ patient.

The TMJ Association was organized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin and has earned a 501(c)(3) status in December 1989. As a corporation, The TMJ Association established an all volunteer Board of Directors. The Board established an all volunteer Scientific Advisory Board to provide technical insight into the complex issues addressed by the Association.

The people involved in The TMJ Association began their search for knowledge of TMJ diseases and disorders because of their own experiences with treatments. The early founders were willing to acknowledge that their treatment outcomes may have been the exception to the rule. They began their quest to learn how other patients were faring and examine the scientific knowledge base relevant to diseases of the jaw joint.

At those early meetings, individual dentists were invited to present their assessment of the "TMJ problem" to the group. All too often, the information presented by these professionals was packaged in what Dr. Harold Perry called "guru programs" learned by those who attended "sporadic, single-concept 'Hilton University' weekend TMD education."

We found that many of the patients of these professional providers began attending our monthly meetings with hopes of finding solutions to the problems that compromised the quality of their lives. They were searching for a way out of the quagmire in which they found themselves abandoned. Over time, it became clear that there were a multitude of problems in this field, with very little consensus on anything and much controversy on everything. It became apparent that a solution was not readily available for patients, and we needed more information founded on valid scientific studies.