Short answer: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and tinnitus frequently occur together, and jaw or neck input can modify tinnitus in some people. But that association does not mean every case of tinnitus with jaw clicking is caused by the temporomandibular joint. In a selected subgroup with both TMD and tinnitus, treating the jaw disorder can reduce tinnitus severity.
TMD and tinnitus are associated, but association is not causation
TMD is a group of musculoskeletal conditions affecting the jaw joint, chewing muscles and related structures. Symptoms can include jaw pain, limited or painful movement, muscle tenderness and sometimes clicking or popping.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source. It can arise through many pathways, most commonly involving the auditory system, hearing loss or neural changes associated with hearing.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 34 observational studies involving more than 47,000 participants found that tinnitus was more common among people with TMD and TMD was more common among people with tinnitus. Comparative studies found about fourfold higher odds in both directions.
But the studies were observational and heterogeneous. They show a reproducible association, not proof that the jaw disorder produced the tinnitus.
2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of TMD and tinnitus.
How could the jaw influence tinnitus?
The plausible connection is not simply that the TMJ sits close to the ear.
Somatosensory input from the jaw and upper cervical region interacts with auditory pathways in the brainstem. In some people, changing jaw position, clenching, moving the neck or contracting facial muscles can immediately change the loudness or pitch of tinnitus.
This phenomenon is often described as somatic or somatosensory tinnitus. It provides a biologically plausible pathway by which musculoskeletal input can influence an existing tinnitus signal.
That is different from saying that local TMJ inflammation physically spreads into the ear and creates tinnitus.
What makes a TMD contribution more plausible?
A jaw contribution becomes more plausible when tinnitus and TMD symptoms occur together and change together.
Examples include tinnitus that changes when clenching or moving the jaw, substantial jaw-muscle tenderness, painful or restricted jaw movement, bruxism or clenching, or tinnitus that began around the same time as a clear TMD episode.
Jaw clicking by itself is much weaker evidence. Clicking can occur without painful TMD, and tinnitus is common enough that the two conditions can coexist by chance.
Can treating TMD improve tinnitus?
Sometimes.
A 2023 systematic review of randomized trials found that physical-therapy interventions for people with TMD-associated tinnitus generally reduced tinnitus intensity or severity. However, only four studies were available and the certainty of the evidence was low.
A newer systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment studies likewise found potential benefit from conservative TMD management, while emphasizing variation in treatment protocols and patient selection.
Systematic review of physical therapy for TMD-associated tinnitus.
2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment approaches.
What treatment is usually tried first?
When clinically significant TMD is present, the usual first approach is conservative rather than surgical.
Depending on the TMD subtype, treatment may include education about jaw habits, reducing clenching and overload, exercises or physical therapy, treatment of painful chewing muscles, and sometimes an oral appliance when appropriate.
The goal is to treat the diagnosed jaw disorder. Any improvement in tinnitus is then a secondary outcome, not something guaranteed in advance.
NSAIDs are not a diagnostic test for TMJ-related tinnitus
The older version of this article suggested taking an NSAID and seeing whether tinnitus improves as a way to test the connection.
That is not a reliable diagnostic method. Tinnitus naturally fluctuates, placebo and expectation effects are substantial, and NSAIDs themselves can have adverse effects. Some drugs in this class have also been associated with tinnitus, particularly at higher doses.
A TMD evaluation and the pattern of symptoms are more informative than a self-administered medication challenge.
Surgery is not a routine tinnitus treatment
TMD surgery is reserved for selected structural joint problems and is not a routine treatment for tinnitus.
The existence of tinnitus should not by itself escalate jaw treatment from conservative care to an invasive procedure.
What about pulsatile tinnitus?
Pulsatile tinnitus — sound that follows the heartbeat — should not be casually attributed to the jaw.
It has a different diagnostic pathway because vascular and other structural causes may need to be excluded. Persistent pulsatile tinnitus deserves medical evaluation.
When tinnitus needs an ear-focused evaluation
TMD is only one possible contributor. Tinnitus deserves appropriate hearing and medical assessment when it is persistent or troublesome, especially when it is unilateral, pulsatile, associated with sudden or asymmetric hearing loss, dizziness, neurological symptoms, or other new ear symptoms.
Treating a jaw problem should not delay investigation of another plausible cause.
Bottom line
TMD and tinnitus clearly co-occur more often than chance alone would predict.
That does not establish that every tinnitus case in someone with jaw clicking is caused by the TMJ.
A somatic contribution is more plausible when jaw movement or muscle activity changes the tinnitus and when clinically meaningful TMD symptoms are present.
For this subgroup, conservative TMD treatment may reduce tinnitus severity, but the evidence is still limited and improvement is not guaranteed.
References
1. Temporomandibular joint disorders and tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2026.
2. Associations between temporomandibular disorders and tinnitus: a systematic review.