TMJ ear pain might be a dull, ongoing irritation or it could be a sharp, searing pain. It may even cause minor spasms in some of the muscles that comprise your face. You're more likely to feel it, of course, whenever you move your jaw to talk, chew, yawn or swallow. Although this pain affects the tissues covering the joint just in front of your ear, you might also feel it in the surrounding facial area along the side of your head, neck, temple, cheek, lower jaw and teeth. Ear pain is often accompanied by a clicking sound or grating sensation and it can be difficult to open your mouth as wide as you would be able to normally.