How the Jaw Joint Got Its Long Name

The full name is temporomandibular joint. “Temporo” comes from the temporal bone, which is the side of the skull near the temple. “Mandibular” comes from the mandible, the lower jaw bone.

Doctors and scientists needed a clear name that described exactly which bones were joining. So they combined the two bone names into one word. Over time people shortened it to TMJ.

The name has been used for a long time in medical books. It helps everyone know they are talking about the same specific joint and not some other part of the face or jaw.

Today most people just say TMJ, but the long name still tells the real story of which bones meet there.

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