Does your jaw click when you open your mouth?

If you experience a clicking jaw when you open your mouth, or if your jaw locks, you may be experiencing problems with you temporomandibular joint. Problems with your jaw joint, known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are considered a part of temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

No pain
If you do not experience any pain with it, you do not need an invasive procedure to correct it. You can try wearing a well-made night guard at night.

Pain
If you do experience pain associated with your clicking jaw, then the joint may be inflamed. Try to avoid over-working your jaw: eat easy-to-chew foods, do not open your mouth wide. Keep in mind that other conditions cause similar symptoms to TMD, such as a toothache, sinus problems, arthritis, or gum disease. See your dentist for a diagnosis and to receive treatment for this problem.

A previous blog post outlines the symptoms often associated with TMD 

Discomfort
Jaw surgery is usually not necessary. Occasional discomfort in the jaw joint and chewing muscles is quite common and usually not a cause for concern. If you are diagnosed with TMD, you can use simple self-care practices to relieve discomfort:

• eat soft foods
• do not open your mouth wide
• do not chew gum
• apply heat or ice packs
• avoid extreme jaw movemetns
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• muscle relaxants
• physical therapy 
• wear a night guard at night

If you have any questions about TMJ or your jaw joint, please feel free to ask us.