DentalNightGuardInfo.com-Jaw Popping

Have a Jaw Clicking or Jaw Popping Problem? Want to Know How to Resolve It? The Answer May Surprise You

Jaw clicking or jaw popping is among the most common problems involving the mandible. Some describe it as a "clicking," while others describe it as a "popping" sound.

Whether it's popping or clicking like a favorite morning cereal, it can be not only painful -- not to mention annyoing, but it can be symptomatic of something more serious.

Just by itself, jaw popping or jaw clicking can lead to other problems like neck pain and headaches. Plus, it can devolve to the point where

this problem can be annoying and painful, leading to pain in the jaw region, headaches, neck aches and difficulty opening and closing the mouth.

Jaw clicking is nothing to ignore as it can be associated with a more serious condition, like temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMJD or TMJ Syndrome.

TMJ involves more serious and chronic problems involving the jaw's muscles and ligaments. If not properly treated, such TMJ-related problems could lead to chronic jaw pain due to permanent misalignment.

In essence, TMJ can lead to permanent joint damage. If you have bone-on-bone contact or abnormal movement of the joint, it could likely cause abnormal wear to your bones and surrounding structures could be damaged or even pinched in the irregular joint.

It goes without saying that proper diagnosis by a dental specialist like a TMJ specialist dentist is important when problems like jaw clicking rear up.

Many people dismiss jaw popping symptoms as an inconsiquential, normal daily occurrence. Why? Because at its early stages, jaw clicking and jaw popping does not usually interfere in their daily lives. It may be an inconvenience but that is all. This is dangerous. The jaw was never meant to click or pop!

In my opinion, early detection is very important. If the clicking or popping sound gets louder, this is an indicator that it's getting worse and the pain can worsen quickly.

It's fairly common too is jaw popping or jaw clicking. According to the available clinical statistics, nine out of ten people whose jaws click or pop.

Jaw clicking or popping inherently imiplies that your joints are stressed. Pain in the jaw joint is sometimes mistaken for an earache or a headache.

In extremely rare cases, the human jaw actually gets dislocated, believe it or not. In such a scenario, it will require medical attention in order to put the jaw back into proper alignment.

What Causes Jaw Popping?

I think I've alluded to this a bit but let's go into more specificity here. When the muscles on your mouth overworked, they won?t work together harmoniously anymore, jaw popping is one of the most common results of overworked muscles. It can be annoying because it's near your ear and the clicking sound is very noticeable.

The jaw joint, which allows the mouth to open and close, as well as move side to side and forward and back, is a complex joint. It is made up of bones, tissue, muscles and ligaments, all of which can become injured.

Those who complain about 'popping jaw' usually have the habit of grinding their teeth very often or they have the habit of night clenching.

Dentists say that jaw popping is very common. The 'smooth and silent' opening of your mouth is possible when the muscles supporting your jaws work in harmony.

Exhausted or overworked muscles won't pull together evenly and may result in popping jaw.

Perhaps you've experienced this while working or chewing a tough pice of meat. Sometimes, while eating, one muscle pulls one way, another pulls in the opposite direction or doesn't move at all - and you hear jaw clicking sound. On the odd occasions others can also hear the sound!

Jaw popping is not considered as a serious problem unless and until there exists a structural problem. But that can quickly happen if not properly diagnosed and treated.

Bruxism or teeth grinding when a person is sleeping, is when a person has the unconscious habit of grinding their upper and lower teeth at night. Bruxism literally affects millions of people worldwide When this occurs even during the day, then it is known as bruxomania.

This can contribute to jaw popping, jaw clicking, and TMJ. It can also cause chipped teeth and result in severe dental damage.

Getting back to what causes jaw popping, the jaw muscles become weak or get pulled, due to which there may be jaw sounds. The continuous grinding of teeth can also lead to attrition of surfaces of teeth, which can lead to a change in the plane of occlusion (the plane at which the upper and lower teeth meet). It can also cause tooth chipping, which is always undesirable both practically for for cosmetic reasons as well.

I've noticed that sleeping or engaging in certain physical habits can cause jaw misalignment and that can cause jaw clicking or jaw popping. This can be temporary, though. Nevertheless, it can happen and does quite frequently. (I've personally experienced this.)

This change in the plane of occlusion can lead to pain in the jaw area when one opens and closes their jaw. This, in turn, be accompanied by jaw clicking or popping as well as swelling and/or pain.

Jaw popping may be a precursor to TMJ. Let's briefly hit upon TMJ and jaw popping. TMJ symptoms can happen when the temporomandibular joints stop working properly. This can happen for many reasons including stress, physical trauma, an accident, etc. It can result in chronic ear pain, jaw stiffness and soreness, difficulty opening the mouth, jaw popping or jaw clicking, tangential neck pain and neck aches, migraine headaches, and sleeplessness.

Sufferers of TMJ pain may experience either sharp pain or a dull, constant ache. Doesn't sound like fun, does it? Jaw popping or clicking can be a precursor of TMJ. So, take it seriously.

Dos & Don'ts That Can Help Alleviate Jaw Popping

There are some practical and simple things one can do to stave off jaw clicking or jaw popping.

The treatment for jaw clicking will more or less depend on the cause behind it. For example, if the clicking or popping is due to teeth grinding or bruxism, well then the person will need to get proper teeth grinding treatment. That will require a good mouth guard.

In such cases, the dentist will check the oral cavity to see if the teeth have been worn down to such a degree that there has been a change in the plane of normal occlusion. If that is the case, then the dentist will try to re-establish the plane of occlusion by restoring the occlusal surface of the teeth affected.

You will need to wear this mouth guard at night but if it's fitted properly, it won't disturb your sleep. It works in stopping your jaw from moving at night or more precisely the teeth from grinding. Its probably the easiest home-remedy and it can work and very, very well.

Over-the-counter drugs can help like Motrin and Advil. This should not be the sole tool in your toolkit, though. Not by a long shot.

The key to preventing occlusal disease is to prevent severe damage by taking preventive measures and getting help as soon as possible. And, when more severe damage has already occurred, predictable long-term treatment is dependent upon the creating of a stable and comfortable bite where your teeth, jaw and muscles work together the way they were supposed to with each other.

One possible option that can help is a good professionally made, mouthguard according to a dental's stringent protocols. As a dentist, I knew I had to be as informed as possible on the abundance of mouth guards on the market. Consequently, I personally researched every mouth guard on this mouth guard review web page.

Then, I decided to formulate my own product. I'm very confident in my product as you can see by the 150% product guarantee. However, my product may not be the right one for you.

To that end, I've put together a fair, honest review of all the main competing mouthguards on the market today. So, to that end...

I hope this jaw popping webpage has been helpful for you.