I have tmj and also thyroid problems. My ears have been hurting for almost 2 years and now they have all kinds of different pains . The ear , nose, and throat doctor wouldn't do anything for me. He said to go to my dentist. My dentist said I had to go to a special dentist for this problem, but he gave me a pain prescription. Now, my face is swollen and my neck is too. Does my thyroid have anything to do with tmj? What actually can be done to help me? All the sights on the interenet give different answers, it's as though no one really knows how to cure the problem. How do you know it's not cancer? What will the special dentist do to figuire out my problem? Will he just look or take an exray? There has to be a logical answer to this problem.