My Jaw Pops When I Chew: Why?

Jaw noises, whether popping, clicking, or crackling, affect children, teens, and adults. One in 10 youth and one-third of adults complain about annoying noises when chewing or opening and closing their mouths. Some experience more than popping: They also have pain.

With or without pain, jaw popping is the top sign of problems in the jawbone joint. Our TLN Family Dental team recommends a dental checkup to learn why you or your child have jaw noises. If the popping is due to a joint problem, we provide expert temporomandibular joint (TMJ) treatment. 

About the TMJ

You have two TMJs connecting the jawbone to the skull. These joints play the starring role in popping and clicking sounds.

In the TMJ, the jawbone’s rounded edge fits into an oval-shaped depression in the skull. The joint goes through two movements when you open and close your mouth.

At first, the jawbone rotates in the depression. But as you open your mouth wider, the jawbone slides forward and moves out of the joint (the depression). When you close your mouth, the bone moves back into the joint.

Causes of jaw popping

Several problems in the TMJ lead to noises like popping, clicking, and crackling:

Cartilage displacement

A piece of cartilage on top of the jawbone usually moves with the bone. But the cartilage can slip off the bone and get stuck in one place (displaced).

If that happens, the jawbone must slide over the cartilage as it moves forward and backward. The popping and clicking noises occur as the bone moves over the bump of cartilage.

Arthritis

Repeated jaw movement over the years, combined with pressure from chewing, causes the cartilage to break down. Even if it’s not displaced, cartilage deterioration allows bone to grate against bone, which leads to crackling noises and other symptoms.

Teeth grinding (bruxism)

Most people aren’t aware they grind their teeth because they do it while sleeping. Grinding and clenching puts substantial pressure on your teeth. The pressure strains your jaw, causing TMJ problems like inflammation, muscle fatigue, and tissue degeneration.

Bite problems

Jaw popping could mean you have a misaligned jawbone. As a result, the upper and lower teeth don’t match together when you bite down, a condition called malocclusion.

Malocclusion alone can cause TMJ popping because it forces unusual jaw movement. Over time, this problem adds to pressure and deterioration in the TMJ.

Jaw injuries

Injuries affecting the TMJ may throw the joint out of alignment, pull the muscles and ligaments, cause a dislocation or fracture, or accelerate cartilage degeneration.

Muscle and connective tissue conditions

The muscles controlling jaw movement, ligaments supporting the joint, and other connective tissues in the joint may weaken, tear, or become inflamed. These conditions affect TMJ movement and lead to noises.

Symptoms accompanying jaw popping

You may only have noises when chewing. However, without treatment, TMJ problems progressively worsen because of the ongoing pressure and wear-and-tear. Along the way, you may develop additional symptoms, such as:

• TMJ pain
• Headaches
• Earaches (not caused by an ear problem)
• Tooth pain or sensitivity
• Sore, tender muscles
• Muscle spasms
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
• Limited jaw movement or jaw locking

In severe cases, your jaw might lock, making it difficult or impossible to move the bone and open and close your mouth.

Treatment for TMJ conditions

Your treatment depends on why your jaw is popping, whether the underlying condition is advanced, and the type and severity of your symptoms.

As specialists in TMJ treatment, we provide many different therapies to ease your symptoms, take the pressure off the joint, and promote healing. You may need one or more of the following:

• Oral appliances (mouthguard, stabilizing splint, and others)
• Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications
• Soft diet (a temporary change to relieve chewing pressure)
• Jaw exercises or TMJ physical therapy
• Restorative dentistry (to correct bite problems and jaw misalignment)
• Behavioral modification (to stop habits that affect the TMJ, like chewing gum, crunching ice, and biting your fingernails)

If you have a severe TMJ injury or advanced arthritis, you may need surgery to repair the problem.

Need help for jaw popping or pain?

Don’t wait to seek help for jaw popping or pain. Call the nearest Texas office today (we have two in Houston and one in Pearland), or connect online to request an appointment.