Jaw clicking, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds, is a common occurrence. These sounds originate from the joints connecting your jawbone to your skull. While a clicking jaw can be concerning, it is often not indicative of a serious underlying issue. This article provides guidance on understanding, managing, and addressing jaw clicking to help alleviate concerns and improve jaw comfort.
Understanding Jaw Clicking
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the lower jaw to the skull, just in front of each ear. A small cartilage disc within this joint cushions movement during chewing, speaking, and yawning. Clicking or popping sounds occur when this disc shifts out of position and then snaps back into place, a phenomenon called disc displacement with reduction.
Several factors contribute to this disc movement. Muscle tension in the jaw, neck, and face can alter jaw movement patterns, leading to clicking. Joint hypermobility, where ligaments are more flexible, can allow excessive disc movement. Behaviors like teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism), excessive gum chewing, or jaw trauma can also strain the TMJ, resulting in clicking sounds.
Self-Care Approaches
Self-care strategies can help manage and reduce jaw clicking. Modifying your diet to include softer foods reduces strain on the jaw joints and muscles. Avoid hard, chewy, or sticky foods, and cut food into smaller pieces. Also, avoid habits like chewing gum, which can worsen jaw strain.
Stress management techniques are important, as stress can lead to unconscious jaw clenching and teeth grinding. Practicing relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness, can help reduce muscle tension. Becoming aware of jaw habits, like resting your chin on your hand or clenching, allows for conscious efforts to relax the muscles.
Gentle jaw exercises can promote proper jaw alignment and strengthen surrounding muscles. Exercises like placing the tongue on the roof of the mouth while slowly opening and closing the jaw can help maintain disc position. Controlled opening and resisted movements, where you apply gentle resistance with your hand while opening or closing your mouth, can also improve jaw mobility. Applying warm, moist heat or an ice pack to the side of the face can ease muscle tension and reduce discomfort. Heat helps relax muscles, while cold can reduce inflammation and numb the area.
When to Consult a Professional
While jaw clicking is often benign, certain signs indicate that professional medical advice is needed. Consult a professional if clicking is accompanied by persistent pain that interferes with daily activities like eating or speaking. This is especially true if pain worsens or does not respond to self-care methods.
Other indicators include limited jaw movement, difficulty opening the mouth fully, or a jaw that locks in either an open or closed position. Accompanying symptoms like frequent headaches, earaches, facial pain, or ringing in the ears (tinnitus) may also suggest a more complex TMJ disorder. A healthcare provider can diagnose the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
Professional Interventions
When self-care is insufficient, healthcare professionals offer various interventions. Dental splints, also known as nightguards or oral appliances, are custom-made devices that fit over the teeth. They minimize pressure on the TMJ and help reposition the jaw, reducing teeth grinding and clenching.
Physical therapy is effective, involving exercises to stretch and strengthen jaw muscles, improve range of motion, and reduce tension. Therapists may use techniques like ultrasound or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to alleviate discomfort. Medications can provide relief, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. Muscle relaxants may be prescribed for short periods to relieve jaw muscle spasms.
In some instances, injections into the joint may be considered. Corticosteroid injections reduce inflammation and pain directly within the TMJ. Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections into jaw muscles can relax overactive muscles, reducing clenching, pain, and clicking. Counseling or behavioral therapy can address stress-related habits contributing to jaw tension.
Surgical options are typically a last resort for severe cases not responding to conservative treatments. These may include arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure, or more extensive open-joint surgery.