TMJ pain can have a wide range of causes, which is why we start with a 45-60 minute examination. Identifying both the root cause and the cause of the pain itself are both important. For example, stress is often a root cause of TMJ pain because it can cause you to clench or grind your teeth at night. However, simply saying, “don’t be stressed,” is unhelpful. Instead, we look at what the stress is causing (ie, the clenching or grinding) and treat that.