Why Is My Jaw Popping?

Have you ever experienced a pop in your jaw while opening your mouth? While it might feel harmless and be ignored, frequent jaw popping may be due to an underlying condition that needs to be addressed. Let us help you understand what jaw popping is, its symptoms, causes, and how to protect your jaw and overall oral health.

What is Jaw Popping?

Jaw popping refers to clicking or popping sounds in the jaw, also referred to as “jaw cracking”. Whenever you open or close your mouth, you hear the cracking sound. It may be harmless, but it may result in discomfort or pain at times. Depending on the underlying conditions, you may even have a hard time moving your jaw if the problem gets worse.

Symptoms of Jaw Popping

The following could be the possible symptoms of jaw popping that may suggest an underlying TMJ dysfunction.

• Pain in the jaw joint
• Frequent headaches
• Difficulty in chewing
• Ear pain
• Bruxism (grinding teeth at night)

Causes of Jaw Popping

Misaligned Teeth

Malocclusion of the teeth occurs when the upper and lower jaws are misaligned. When a person is struggling with dental misalignments like an overbite, open bite, teeth gaps, cross bite, or crowded teeth, they often face jaw pain or jaw popping.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

Our temporomandibular joint attaches the jaw to the skull. If for any reason, an individual is having a temporomandibular joint disorder , chances are that they may struggle with jaw popping or cracking.

Teeth Grinding or Clenching

Teeth grinding and clenching are common dental issues, especially in people who stress more often. Grinding your teeth at night can put a lot of stress on your jaw, causing jaw clicking.

Jaw Injury

Another major cause of jaw clicking is jaw injuries due to accidents, sports injuries, or dental trauma that lead to jaw dislocation or a broken jaw.

Treatment for Jaw Popping

You might think of jaw popping as not much of an issue, but having it treated can help you get rid of any further complications. The treatment for a popped jaw can include the following.

• Changes in the lifestyle
• Home remedies
• Medication
• Medical treatment

Lifestyle Changes

You might be able to escape jaw popping with the help of just minor changes to your lifestyle, as mentioned below.

• Avoid biting your fingernails.
• Reduce the chewing of gum.
• Minimize Crunching on ice.
• Limit eating lots of hard or chewy foods.
• Managing stress can help reduce jaw clenching.

Professional Treatments

If the jaw popping continues, you might need professional assistance.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist can guide you with exercises for the jaw that can help improve functioning and alignment, reducing the popping sounds.

Using Dental Appliances

For individuals who clench or grind their teeth at night, a dental night guard can be helpful. On the other hand, a mouth guard can help reduce the risks of dental injuries, preventing dental trauma and helping in the reduction of jaw popping.

Orthodontic Approach

Dental misalignments can be one of the causes of unusual jaw popping. Correcting your bite with any of the orthodontic appliances, like braces or aligners, can help fix the alignment of your teeth (perfect occlusion), minimizing one of the causes of jaw popping.

What Does It Mean if My Jaw Pops?

Jaw popping refers to a clicking or popping sound from the jaw. It can be harmless, but it may also lead to jaw fatigue, chronic jaw pain, headaches, ear pain, etc., in some cases. The underlying causes of these clicking sounds include stress-induced clenching or grinding of teeth, TMJ disorders, jaw dislocation, or a broken jaw. Most cases can be easily cured through the help of certain lifestyle changes, an orthodontic treatment, or by incorporating dental gadgets to minimize jaw popping. However, in severe cases, physical therapy or even surgery may be needed.