You may have noticed that when you are eating or when you yawn, your jaw clicks. The good news is that most of the time, there is really absolutely nothing at all to worry about. Source: https://medium.com/what-is-gingivitis-dr-muzzafar-zaman/should-i-be-worried-if-my-jaw-clicks-7200dee43266

1. Should I be worried if my jaw clicks?
by Dr Muzzafar Zaman
Jaw Illustration
Jaw clicking
You may have noticed that when you are eating or when you yawn, your
jaw clicks. The good news is that most of the time, there is really
absolutely nothing at all to worry about. Jaw clicking is quite common
and it may only occur sometimes or if when your jaw is really wide open.
In nearly all cases, the jaw clicks only on one side and rarely on both
sides. It usually isn’t painful but the noise of the click can be worrying.
There are however instances when the jaw clicking together with other
signs can be problematic and you may need to do something about it.
The proper biological name for the lower jaw is the mandible and
maxilla for the upper jaw. The mandible is the portion that moves during
eating, talking and swallowing. The jaw joint itself is located just in front
of the skin flap immediately in front of the ear holes. You can feel the
jaw joint moving easily by placing two fingers together and placing them
just on the skin in front of the skin flap and opening/closing your

2. mouth. The biological name for the jaw joint is known as The
Temporomandibular joint. It’s quite a mouthful (the pun is not
intended) to pronounce so it is abbreviated as the TMJ. The basic
structure of the joint is much like other joints in that you have two bones
separated by cartilage and synovial fluid fills the joint capsule.
Symptoms to look out for
As previously mentioned, if your TMJ clicks, that is not something you
immediately need to do anything about unless you if you also notice
other signs, then you should go along to see your dentist. These signs are
if your jaw locks, pain around the joint area, if there is pain on opening
or closing, if you get frequent headaches especially on waking up in the
morning and if you notice you unconsciously grind your teeth or clench
your jaw. Once you experience pain or spasm around your TMJ, this
then becomes a reason to visit your dentist. This condition is known as
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, Temporomandibular disorder or
Temporomandibular syndrome and is frequently accompanied by
clenching or grinding ( bruxism). Even if the pain is not that severe,
bruxism can seriously damage and crack the enamel of your teeth until
it completely wears down. Enamel of your teeth does not have the
capacity to grow back so once the enamel has worn down it will never
grow back. Once the enamel has disappeared, you are down to the
underlying softer part of the tooth called dentine. If the clenching and
grinding continues, the dentine will wear away much faster and before
long, you will notice sensitivity as you get closer to the nerves inside
your teeth. For certain, you will also definitely become aware of your
teeth becoming shorter and flatter around the edges as they wear away.
As your teeth become shorter this in itself places extra strain on your
TMJ.
Treatments Available

3. There are books and books and thousands of scientific papers on the
subject. This actually highlights the fact that there is no one widely
accepted treatment that all dentists agree on. However in general, the
goal of TMJ pain dysfunction syndrome is to relieve the muscle pain and
stop the teeth from wearing away. This is where your dentist may
suggest to take impressions of your teeth and have a night guard made.
This night guard or splint fits over your teeth, a bit like a sport’s gum
shield but thinner and more comfortable. You only wear it at night. Your
dentist will also check your bite using articulating paper to look for
premature contacts. If premature contacts are identified, then
sometimes correction to your bite can lessen or eliminate the effects of
TMJ dysfunction. However, any clicking of the jaw will probably not go
away. It is known that stress and depression can worsen pain from TMJ
dysfunction. As the muscles around the TMJ can feel “tight”, your
dentist can also give you specific jaw exercises to do each day.
So in summary, there is no need to worry if your jaw clicks. If however
there is pain or evidence of a clenching or grinding habit, then your
dentist will needs to be aware.
References
J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2017 Jul;21(3):541–548. doi:
10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.05.021. Epub 2017 Jun 1.
Conservative management of temporomandibular
dysfunction: A literature review with implications for clinical
practice guidelines (Narrative review part 2).
Butts R1, Dunning J2, Pavkovich R2, Mettille J3, Mourad F2
J Dent Res. 2015 Mar;94(3 Suppl):79S-86S. doi:
10.1177/0022034514565793. Epub 2015 Jan 8.

4. Temporomandibular joint disorders’ impact on pain,
function, and disability.
Chantaracherd P1, John MT2, Hodges JS3, Schiffman EL1
J Man Manip Ther. 2014 Feb; 22(1): 2–12.
doi: 10.1179/2042618613Y.0000000060
PMCID: PMC4062347
Temporomandibular disorders. Part 1:
anatomy and examination/diagnosis
Stephen M Shaffer,1 Jean-Michel Brismée,1 Phillip S Sizer,1 and Carol A
Courtney2
Occlusal stabilization splint for patients with temporomandibular
disorders: Meta-analysis of short and long term effects
· Jovana Kuzmanovic Pficer ,
* E-mail: jovana57@yahoo.com
Affiliation Department for Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of
Dental Medicine University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯ Slobodan Dodic,
Affiliation Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine
University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯ Vojkan Lazic,

5. Affiliation Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine
University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯ Goran Trajkovic,
Affiliation Department for Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of
Medicine University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯ Natasa Milic ,
Contributed equally to this work with: Natasa Milic, Biljana Milicic
Affiliation Department for Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of
Medicine University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯ Biljana Milicic
Contributed equally to this work with: Natasa Milic, Biljana Milicic
Affiliation Department for Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of
Dental Medicine University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
⨯Occlusal stabilization splint for patients with temporomandibular
disorders: Meta-analysis of short and long term effects
· Jovana Kuzmanovic Pficer,
· Slobodan Dodic,
· Vojkan Lazic,
· Goran Trajkovic,
· Natasa Milic,

6. · Biljana Milicic
x Published: February 6, 2017
· https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171296
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Tagged in Dr Muzzafar Zaman, Jaw Clicking, Why Does My Jaw Click
By Dr Muzzafar Zaman on January 24, 2018.
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Exported from Medium on May 11, 2018.