My name is TMD ... not TMJ!

ORLANDO, Fla. (KFSN) -- TMD is a disorder that affects the jaw and muscles in your face. It's often incorrectly referred to as "TMJ". This debilitating condition can keep you from enjoying everyday activities. Do you have TMD?

Do you have pain or discomfort when you chew...talk...or laugh?

You could have temporomandibular disorder or TMD for short. It's a condition that affects the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. One study found Americans miss 17.8 million work days a year due to TMD!

Family Dentist Ray M. Becker, DDS, FAGD, at Howard County Smiles said "It's not something that is unfortunately addressed as often as it should be, but it's a significant issue obviously from even the workplace standpoint."

Some possible causes of TMD: grinding or clenching your teeth, an injury to your jaw or neck, arthritis, stress, or even what happens while you sleep!

"We know that bruxing and grinding is a natural human stress release mechanism that you actually incur when you're exiting the four stages of sleep, which is the deepest stage of sleep." Becker said.

Treatments include relaxation exercises, anti-anxiety and pain meds, night guards, dental work to fix the problem, or in some cases, jaw surgery. If you do have TMD, the right treatment could have you smiling again in no time.

TMD can affect one or both sides of your face. Besides pain in the face and jaw area, symptoms include trouble opening your mouth, jaws that lock, ringing in your ears, a clicking or popping sound in your jaw joint, toothaches, headaches, dizziness, or pain around your neck, shoulders, or ears.