Should a Clicking Jaw Be Treated?

Key points in 30 seconds

1. If it only clicks and doesn't hurt, it's fine to keep an eye on it.
2. If your mouth doesn't open wide enough to fit three fingers, have it checked.
3. If the clicking has stopped but your mouth opens less, it hasn't gotten better.
4. When your head juts forward, the force on your jaw changes.
5. If your mouth suddenly won't open or your bite changes, see a doctor right away.

What we often hear

• "My jaw catches when I yawn, and it scares me."
• "My jaw clicks while I'm eating, and I worry others can hear it."
• "It only clicks. Does it need treatment?"

Should a clicking jaw be treated?

If it only clicks, doesn't hurt, and your mouth opens well, it's fine to keep an eye on it. If the clicking comes with pain or your mouth doesn't open as wide as before, it's better to have it checked.

More people have a clicking jaw than you might think. Getting rid of the sound itself isn't the goal. What matters isn't the sound but whether it hurts and whether it gets in the way of using your jaw.

Why does it click?

Inside the jaw joint, there's a disc of cartilage sitting between the bones. When that disc has slipped out of place and then moves back into place as you open your mouth, it makes a sound.

So the click usually happens once while opening and once while closing. How loud it is depends on how far the disc has slipped and how tense the muscles are.

When should I have it checked?

Have it checked if your mouth doesn't open wide enough to fit three fingers stacked vertically, if opening hurts, or if your mouth swings to one side as it opens.

If someone whose jaw used to click finds that one day it stops clicking but their mouth opens less, that isn't improvement. The slipped disc may have gotten stuck altogether, so it actually calls for more care.

Is it enough to look only at the jaw?

We look at the neck too. The jaw joint hangs from the skull, and the head sits on top of the neck. When the angle of the neck changes, where the jaw closes changes too.

When your head juts forward, the lower jaw is pushed back. Biting and chewing all day in that position changes the force on the inside of the jaw joint. That's why we look at the neck even when you've come in for jaw pain.

What are the limits of this judgment?

How loud the clicking is doesn't always match the actual condition. Some people have loud clicking and are fine; some have no clicking and are in pain.

One more thing. If your mouth suddenly won't open or won't close, see a doctor right away. If your jaw is swollen and warm, or the way your teeth fit together has suddenly changed, see a dentist first.

We don't decide on treatment based on the clicking alone. If it doesn't hurt and your mouth opens well, keeping an eye on it is also an answer.

If the clicking comes with pain or catching, come see us. From that point on, there are things to look at.

How things progress differs from person to person, depending on how far the disc has slipped and how long it has been.