Cause	History	Physical findings	Comments
TMJ syndrome11	Pain or crepitus with talking or chewing	Tender TMJ Crepitus or clicking on motion of mandible May have restricted jaw movement	Risk factors include clenching and biting inside of lips and mouth
Dental causes (e.g., caries, periodontal abscess, impacted third molars, pulpitis)6	May have dental complaints or history of dental disorders	Caries Abscess Gingivitis Facial swelling Teeth tender to percussion	Caries and abscess most common
Pharyngitis or tonsillitis4	Often accompanied by sore throat	Pharyngeal or tonsillar erythema Swelling Exudate	Otalgia can be the primary symptom even if ear not involved
Cervical spine arthritis4,12	Crepitus or pain with neck movement	Decreased neck range of motion Tender spinous processes or paraspinal muscles	Pain referred from C2, C3 cervical nerve roots
Idiopathic 4,6,13	Variable	Normal	In practice, often labeled TMJ syndrome, neuropathic pain, or eustachian tube dysfunction