The Two Bones That Meet at the TMJ

One bone is the lower jaw, called the mandible. The top of this bone has a rounded part called the condyle. It looks a bit like a small ball.

The other bone is part of your skull, called the temporal bone. It has a shallow dip where the condyle sits. This dip is called the fossa. Right in front of the fossa is a small bump called the articular eminence.

When you open your mouth, the rounded condyle first turns in place. Then it slides forward and down over that bump. This is how your mouth gets wide open.

These two bones never actually touch each other. Something soft sits between them to keep the movement smooth.

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