Jaw pain, clicking, locking, and limited opening affect millions of people, and most patients are told to reduce stress, wear a night guard, or wait it out, without ever learning why the problem started. Dr. Donald Tanenbaum, a specialist in orofacial pain and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, joins Dr. Dean Mitchell to explain what TMJ actually means (it's a body part, not a diagnosis) and why he treats jaw disorders as orthopedic problems, no different from a hip or a knee.
Dr. Tanenbaum walks through the three pathways that drive most jaw problems: physical trauma, chronic stress and the mind-body connection, and underlying medical conditions like thyroid disease, GI dysfunction, and connective tissue disorders. He explains why the neck is one of the most overlooked contributors to jaw pain, why sleep bruxism is driven by the brain rather than a bad habit, and why most people who grind their teeth never develop a problem at all. The conversation also covers the three distinct types of pain (somatic, neuropathic, and nociplastic), why women make up roughly 70 percent of TMD patients, where Botox does and doesn't belong in treatment, and several memorable cases where an "alleged TMD problem" turned out to be something else entirely, including one patient whose jaw pain was actually a heart attack.
Dr. Tanenbaum's new book, "Lockjaw: A Human Problem: What You Need to Know to Start Feeling Better," releases in early September 2026.
Guest ContactDonald R. Tanenbaum, DDS, MPH
Diplomate, American Board of Orofacial Pain | Fellow, American Academy of Orofacial Pain
Practice: New York TMJ and Oral Facial Pain
NYC office: 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1857, New York, NY 10111 — (212) 265-0110
Long Island office: 812 Wheeler Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
Contact Dr. Mitchell:Email: care@mitchellmedicalgroup.com
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