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Understanding the Clicking Sound in Your Jaw
Have you heard an unsettling clicking or popping sound from your jaw? If so, you’re not alone.
The clicking sound you hear when you move your jaw is usually a sign that your temporomandibular joint – jaw joint – isn’t working quite right. This joint, which connects your jawbone to your skull, should move smoothly – without any sounds.
The problem of jaw joint clicking is quite widespread – and we see more and more cases – caused by lifestyle, stress, and aesthetic procedures that, if not done properly, can create disbalance in your mouth, resulting in clicking joints.
You might notice this clicking sound during everyday activities, such as:
- Chewing, especially when biting into something that requires a bit more effort, like a crunchy carrot or a chewy steak.
- Yawning can trigger clicking, sometimes accompanied by a feeling that your jaw is shifting
- Talking, laughing or any movement that involves opening your mouth wide or moving your jaw quickly can result in a click.
Along with clicking, you might experience: pain or discomfort, from mild tenderness to more severe pain in the jaw joint and surrounding areas, stiffness or limited movement or even ear-related sensations – because of the joint’s proximity to your ears, you might also experience ear pain or a sensation of fullness in the ear.
Causes of the Clicking Sound
The root cause of the clicking sound usually involves some form of misalignment or displacement within the temporomandibular joint. We often see following causes of TMJ disorders:
- Bad alignment of the jaw joint or teeth
- Twisted or improperly positioned jaw joints can lead to uneven movement.
- Trauma – injury to the jaw or head can result in TMJ issues.
- Congenital Issues – some people are born with structural issues that affect jaw alignment – rarely, but we can hear clicking sounds even in babies. That requires attention from the baby’s pediatrician and an expert gnathology exam.
- Poorly executed dental treatments can create or worsen TMJ problems.
Consequences of Untreated TMJ
If left untreated, TMJ and the associated clicking can lead to several complications that we are often not even aware of that are caused by such a small joint as TMJ. But the body is a system and all its parts affect each other
TMJ can cause postural problems that can extend to your pelvis, feet, and neck, impacting overall posture like a chain reaction starting from your jaw and ending at your toes.
Some patients suffer from ear issues such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and vertigo.
Pain, including chronic head and body pain, is among many unfortunate consequences of untreated TMJ disorders.
Last but not least, TMJ often causes or contributes to functional limitations, such as reduced ability to open the mouth affecting eating, breathing, and speaking. problems.
Treatment Options
Addressing TMJ requires a personalized approach because each patient has a different kind of TMJ disorder, level of imbalance, and position problems.
In my practice, I start the process using a very detailed diagnostic protocol that detects all problems in a masticatory organ. Just like TMJ problems can cause bad bites, vice versa is also true – bad bite or changes in bite after dental procedures or injuries can cause TMJ problems.
After diagnosing, I develop treatment options, often including specialists like ENT doctors, speech therapists, and psychotherapists.
Therapy includes custom-made splints, tailored to your specific needs and jaw alignment and precise orthodontic work that can correct alignment issues. Off-the-shelf splints are not ideal solutions, as they can not work on such precise levels we need when we correct jaw joining position – even microns can have an impact on its proper function. Modern technology allows us to 3D design custom-made splints and print them with perfect accuracy that helps achieve perfect jaw joint alignment faster and more precisely.
The clicking sound in your jaw, while often benign, can signal underlying TMJ issues that need attention.
Understanding its causes through detailed diagnostics that include all necessary tests or even multidisciplinary approaches is the first step in seeking effective treatment that will ensure not only oral health – but also overall health and well-being.
