Snap, crackle, pop: is that your jaw?

Clicking or popping could mean trouble, that is if it comes from your jaw. Joint sound is one of the most recognized signs of temporomandibular disorders, commonly referred to as TMD. While not all jaw sound necessarily points to TMD, it could be an early sign and should be mentioned at your next dental exam. If there is pain involved please book to see us right away.

The temporomandibular joints are the points at which the lower jaw (the mandible) attaches to the skull. They are among the most complex joints in the human anatomy. If you place your fingers on the sides of your face, just in front of your ears, and open and close your mouth, you can feel the movement of the jaw in the temporomandibular joints (TMJ).

TMD describes a variety of conditions that affect jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints and nerves associated with chronic facial pain. Symptoms may occur on one or both sides of the face, head or jaw.

Second only to back pain, head pain is the most common problem to drive people to visit their doctor. If you suffer from head pain, your family physician should be consulted first. But, if no cause is found for the pain, a dental examination may get to the root of the problem.

You may have TMD symptoms if you experience the following:

• Clicking or difficulty when opening and closing mouth
• Earaches without an infection
• Ringing in one or both ears
• Frequent headaches
• Neck or shoulder pain
• Sensitive teeth when no dental problems can be found
• Teeth do not fit together properly
• Jaw pain or stiff jaw when chewing

TMD can also develop after an injury. People who experience head and neck trauma during a car accident need to see their dentist to have their jaw checked for TMD symptoms.

If you are clenching or grinding your teeth you may create injury that leads to problems. Note that your teeth should come together only for 10 to 12 minutes per day when you swallow. During stressful periods, when TMD symptoms appear, we advise avoiding chewing gum and selecting softer foods to decrease the use of the jaw muscles. Just put your tongue between your teeth or at the top of your mouth to keep your teeth apart.

People who experience frequent headaches and pain in their lower jaw - between the earlobe and jawline, should check their posture and consult their dentist about temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

Poor posture places the spine in a position that causes stress to the jaw joint. When people slouch or hunch over, the lower jaw shifts forward -- causing the upper and lower teeth to not fit together properly, and the skull moves back on the spinal column.

Injuries and arthritis can damage the joint directly or stretch or tear the muscle ligaments. As a result, the disk, which is made of cartilage and functions as the “cushion” of the jaw joint, can slip out of position.

The initial goals are to relieve the muscle spasm and joint pain. This is usually accomplished with a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory or muscle relaxant. In more severe cases steroids can be injected directly into the joints to reduce pain and inflammation.

Appliances can be prescribed to help prevent damage due to clenching and grinding.

If your TMJ disorder has caused problems with how your teeth fit together, you may need treatment such as bite adjustment (equilibration), orthodontics with or without jaw reconstruction, or restorative dental work.

Dr. Hartley does not consider TMJ surgery unless the jaw can’t open, is dislocated and nonreducible, has severe degeneration, or the patient has undergone appliance treatment unsuccessfully.

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