Hearing the sounds when you swallow, breathe, and eat is quite common to most people, if not all. Yet, for some, a crackle might be audible by simply opening the jaw!

Understanding TMJ and Jaw Clicking

Consider a creaking door, which creates a disturbing sound from an unfixed hinge. Similar to the jaw-clicking sounds, this unusual pop points to an unfixed hinge in the jaw. 

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the sliding hinge that helps your jaw move in various motions. These sliding hinges on both sides of the head help perform bodily functions such as eating, talking, swallowing, and even breathing.

An unusual jaw clicking, even when yawning, could potentially relate to TMJ disorders. This distinct jaw clicking, often difficult not to notice, is mainly due to the proximity of the TMJ to the ear canal, both sharing a common bony wall.  

Aside from jaw clicking, individuals experiencing TMJ dysfunction often show other related symptoms such as:

  • Jaw Pain 
  • Limited Jaw Mobility (Opening or Closing)
  • Altered Bite (Malocclusion)
  • Headaches
  • Earaches (Tinnitus)
  • Neck Pain

Causes of TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking

The clicking sound from your jaw is a cascade of anatomical irregularities. To put this clearly, the mandible’s rounded ends (condyles) often slide out of the joint sockets when the mouth opens. 

Together with these condyles are the cartilaginous articular discs, which cushion the jaw and smooth jaw movements. Some condyles may push the articular discs forward, leaving the jaw ends bare and unprotected. 

When this happens, the condyles bump to the upper mandible (articular eminence), creating the popping, clicking, and crackling sound common to TMJ disorders. But this can become extremely painful. 

When this uncushioned jaw ends tightly, press tissues with nerve endings and jaw clicking can disrupt your normal day-to-day activities. The common causes of TMJ pain, before it results in these mechanical issues, include:

  • Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Involuntary teeth clenching during sleep often causes discomfort in the jaw and surrounding bones and muscles.
  • Jaw Injury: Past injuries may negatively affect jaw joints, cartilage, and bone structures.
  • Arthritis: Inflammation in the jaw joints may aggravate TMJ pain and discomfort.
  • Stress: Psychological stress contributes to excessive jaw clenching and grinding.
  • Existing Malocclusion: Uneven teeth, typically present at birth, often develop and result in TMJ-related disorders.

Is Jaw Clicking Always a Sign of TMJ Disorder?

On many occasions, quite a few experience jaw clicking yet do not have TMJ disorders. Interestingly, some individuals diagnosed with TMJ disorders show no sign of jaw clicking.

Regardless of these, jaw clicking can be benign in several situations. 

Normal Variations

For some individuals, anatomical variations may result in jaw clicking without experiencing TMJ dysfunction or any significant discomfort in the affected parts.

Hypermobility

Often rare and related to connective tissue disorders. Very few individuals with hypermobility may experience popping sounds due to excessive jaw movements. Yet, this is usually not painful.

Age-Related Changes

Degenerative changes in the TMJ are common among older adults. Although this condition may result in jaw clicking, it typically shows no significant symptoms.

Unfortunately, these conditions are only applicable to specific individuals. Jaw clicking may become more serious when accompanied by these symptoms:

  • Severe jaw pain
  • Stiffness in opening or closing the mouth
  • Headaches, ear pain, and neck pain
  • Difficulty chewing
  • Other symptoms (facial pain, muscle spasms, or changes in dental alignment)

Potential Risks of Ignoring TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking

Ignoring jaw clicking is fine for benign conditions. But when you ignore the associated pain and discomfort that TMJ disorder brings, this can potentially lead to long-term health risks. 

If left untreated, TMJ pain might cause irreversible damage to the joints itself. Damaged TMJs often result in a gradual decrease in activity that might deteriorate surrounding cartilage over time. 

Reaching other body parts, limited jaw movement constrains your jaw, face, and head muscles, which may result in frequent headaches or migraines. 

Untreated TMJs, even in the early phase, may cause recurring earaches that can escalate to balance issues. Unattended TMJ pain can be alarming chronic discomfort spanning the entire jaw, head, neck, and shoulder, ultimately impacting overall well-being.

Considering these risks, early intervention is crucial. Seek healthcare professionals to carefully assess which treatment options work best for your TMJ condition. Act swiftly to prevent any uncomfortable symptoms and permanent health risks.

How to Diagnose TMJ Disorders

Diagnosing TMJ disorders involves a systematic approach. This approach often includes evaluating your medical history and verifying the condition through physical examination and imaging techniques. Other alternative methods are also at hand to manage the condition.

Medical History

Assessing your medical history is essential to diagnose TMJ disorders accurately. Typically, the healthcare provider will ask you the following:

  • Symptoms: Identifying the location, intensity, and duration of your TMJ pain, and including other symptoms (headaches, earaches, etc.).
  • Triggers: You should know if your habits or activities may contribute to the condition (e.g., excessive teeth grinding, jaw clenching).
  • Previous Injuries: Verifying past jaw injuries and surgeries.
  • Stress Levels: Since stress 

Physical Examination

Physical examinations are crucial, as well as your medical history. Medical professionals may ask about limitations in jaw movements, assess jaw discomfort or tenderness, and check for clicking sounds while moving the jaw.

Imaging Tests

Imaging tests are vital to evaluate the extent of damage caused by TMJ disorders, especially in adjacent muscles and cartilage. X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, which provide a detailed view of the TMJ and surrounding structures, are frequently used in these tests. 

Consultation with Experts

In some cases, a referral to TMJ specialists such as dentists and oral surgeons is beneficial for further evaluation and treatment planning. This multidisciplinary approach ensures a comprehensive process to restore your TMJ and affected areas. 

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment techniques are often useful to gauge the severity of TMJ pain. To do this, test if opening the mouth over two centimetres triggers clicking or popping sounds. When it does, observe any pain and note which activities worsen the pain.

Treatment Options for TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking

Most TMJ pain may be temporary and get resolved over time. That’s why most TMJ experts recommend conservative treatments to prevent any irreparable damage.

These traditional, noninvasive TMJ treatments range from physical therapy and stress management to dietary adjustments. To provide TMJ relief, familiarising yourself with specific jaw exercises, yoga, deep breathing, and meditation is important. Avoiding tough, chewy foods also counts.

Other treatments are available when these noninvasive options fail to provide TMJ relief. These include dental interventions and advanced treatment, which might be better for treating your TMJ pain.

Dental Interventions

Wearing mouthguards can help prevent excessive jaw clenching at night. Alternatively, dental splints may maintain proper tooth alignment, crucial to reducing jaw strain.

Advanced Interventions

Invasive treatments, often not recommended, are your last options when exhausting all your options. These TMJ treatments may include:

  • Medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers and muscle relaxants that help ease TMJ pain.
  • Injections: Corticosteroids reduce TMJ inflammation, and Botox relaxes jaw muscles to prevent further clenching, grinding, or excessive pressure.
  • Surgeries: Typically, a last resort when severe TMJ cases do not respond to other treatments. This includes arthroscopy (TMJ debris removal) or a rarely used procedure like open-joint surgery (TMJ replacement). 

Home Remedies to Alleviate TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking

Often done, at-home TMJ remedies are practical ways to ease jaw pain and discomfort. Before here are some useful do-at-home TMJ pain management:

Apply Cold or Hot Therapy

Knowing when to use hot or cold therapy can be tricky. A cold compress, often applied within 15 minutes, reduces jaw inflammation and numbness. Consequently, a warm compress for 15 minutes can help you relax the muscles and improve blood flow. 

Perform Jaw Exercises

Specific jaw exercises are simple yet effective methods to improve TMJ conditions. Keep your jaw moving from time to time. Gently open, close, or move it forward and backward to improve jaw mobility.

Adjust Your Diet

Reduce, if it’s impossible to avoid at all costs, chewy and hard foods like meat and raw vegetables. Since not all foods are soft, adjust the cooking method to make food easy to chew.

When to Seek Professional Help

A persistent jaw clicking is the first sign of seeking professional help. Urgent medical assistance is essential when jaw, face, or neck pain persists for weeks. Consult a professional to prevent serious complications!

Preventing TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking

Adopting good habits and a lifestyle, often overlooked, is paramount to keeping a healthy, well-functioning jaw. Gradually improve your posture to reduce jaw and neck strains.

Since excessive pressure negatively affects the jaw, limit gum chewing by avoiding hard food, nail-biting, or even unconscious jaw clenching. Unconsciously clenching your teeth and jaw often results from stressful situations. Start engaging in physical exercises and relaxation activities to solve this.

Regular dental visitation is part of these good habits. Monitoring your jaw health can help identify early signs of TMJ disorders. Doing so provides preventive measures that are just down the line. 

Taking Control of TMJ Health

TMJ disorders, with persistent pain, can disrupt your overall well-being. That’s why understanding the diagnostic process, treatment options, and preventive strategies is essential so you can take control and prevent TMJ dysfunctions. 

Don’t wait for your TMJ conditions to worsen. Seeking professional help, even in simple jaw clicking, is important to prevent TMJ disorders early. Managing TMJ conditions requires proactive treatment and healthy habits.

Explore alternative options to comprehensive, personalised TMJ treatments with MVMT Sports Chiropractic. We perform first-rate therapies to restore jaw functions while working with TMD specialists. 

Call us at 0421 151 778 or make a direct booking with us today for an initial consultation.