Question 1

Clicking in the jaw joint: when does it need treatment?

Accepted Answer

If it only clicks, doesn't hurt, and your mouth opens well, it's fine to watch it. If the clicking comes with pain or your mouth doesn't open as wide, it's better to get it checked.

Question 2

Correcting facial asymmetry: what can change and what can't?

Accepted Answer

The shape of the facial bones themselves does not change. What can change is where the lower jaw sits and the difference in muscle thickness between the left and right sides.

Question 3

How do the jaw joint and the neck bones affect each other?

Accepted Answer

They do. The lower jaw hangs from the skull, and the head sits on top of the neck, so when the angle of the neck changes, the position where the jaw closes changes too.

Question 4

When jaw pain while chewing makes eating hard, what do you look at?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us their jaw hurts sharply when they open their mouth or chew, so they avoid chewy foods and eat only soft things. Mealtimes become a burden.

Question 5

When a child has jaw joint symptoms along with headaches, how do you look at it?

Accepted Answer

Parents tell us their child's jaw clicks every time they open their mouth, and after school the child rests because of a headache. Some children also say they hear sounds in their ears.

Question 6

When your mouth won't open well (limited jaw opening), when should you hurry?

Accepted Answer

If your mouth is stuck open and won't close, your jaw may be dislocated, so see a doctor right away. Do not try to force it back into place.

Question 7

What do you measure when looking at differences between the left and right sides of the face?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us their face looks lopsided in every photo. When we ask, they say they always chew on the same side and that side of the jaw feels stiff.

Question 8

How do you decide whether to use a jaw joint appliance?

Accepted Answer

We use it when hands-on treatment alone can't keep the jaw in place. We don't recommend it from the start. If several rounds of acupuncture and manual treatment help only for the moment and it keeps going back, that's when we discuss it.

Question 9

How do you approach jaw pain combined with sleep and digestive problems?

Accepted Answer

Patients come in for jaw pain, but when we ask, they also say their sleep is light and their stomach feels bloated. They think they are suffering from three separate problems.

TMJ (jaw joint) disorder · Facial asymmetry