Constant Jaw Popping & Clicking: Causes & Treatment Options

Your jaw can pop or click when you open your mouth too wide or overuse the muscle. Often, the clicking and popping will go away on its own. When your jaw clicks and pops more constantly and becomes a chronic condition, this is often a form of TMD, which is also called TMJ.

More than 10 million Americans struggle with temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ or TMD), and more women are affected than men. This disorder impacts the jaw and can cause it to pop and click. It often also induces pain.¹

TMD is not widely understood. There are a variety of potential causes for the disorder, including stress, injury, teeth grinding, and medical conditions.

TMD is one of the most common pain disorders, following headache and low back pain, and it can have long-term symptoms. The treatment for TMD, and jaw popping and clicking, will depend on what is causing it. Often, it can be managed at home.

The Basics

Your temporomandibular joint connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your temporal bone in the side of your skull. There are muscles that control the movement of your jaw and allow the condyles (rounded ends of your lower jaw) to move smoothly within the joint socket of your temporal bone.

The acronym TMJ refers to the name of your joint, not any health issues that might impact this part of your body.

There is a soft disc of cartilage that sits between these two bones to cushion this movement. This disc can move out of place and snap back into its correct location when you open your mouth, making a clicking or popping sound. It can also move back out of place when you close your mouth, again clicking or popping.

The acronym TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder, a collection of symptoms that can include jaw clicking and popping.

Your jaw can pop or click temporarily because of overuse or overextending it, or it can pop and click more regularly due to TMD. With TMD, in addition to the popping and clicking, you can also often experience pain, limited jaw movement, and additional issues. The disorder is reported to be a multisystem and complex condition that impacts the digestive, endocrine, circulatory, immune, muscular, nervous, respiratory, exocrine, reproductive, and skeletal systems.

Understanding Jaw Clicking

Your lower jaw is loosely attached to your skull, allowing you to open your mouth wide, shift your teeth from side to side, and otherwise make full use of your mouth.

Tendons and muscles link your lower jaw to your skull, and between the bones is an articular disc. This tiny bit of cushion is only about 2 mm to 3 mm thick, and it’s designed to keep your bones from grinding together.

Opening your mouth wide can cause this disc to shift from its proper place, causing a jaw clicking or popping.

Causes of Jaw Clicking & Popping

There is no known specific cause for TMD, or jaw popping and clicking. Researchers say many cases of TMD stem from one of the following factors:

• Poor habits: People who grind their teeth or clench them tightly put intense stress on the jaw muscles, which could lead to TMD in time. Stress and depression can lead to these habits or make them worse.

• Tooth placement: People with crossbite, overbite, or open bite have teeth that don’t nest together properly when the mouth is closed. These forms of malocclusion can put unneeded pressure on the jaws, which can lead to TMD.

• Hormones: Estrogen makes ligaments more lax, allowing the disc to slip out of place easily. This factor could explain why more women have TMD than men.

• Trauma: Car accidents and other incidents that lead to head trauma can damage the jaw’s supporting structures, leading to TMD.

• Chewing patterns: People who chew gum regularly or bite down hard when they eat are more likely to develop TMD than those who do not.

Researchers say no one cause can lead to TMD. Typically, people have several factors that work together to cause jaw clicking and pain.

Jaw Clicking Symptoms Checklist

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research says some TMD troubles are minor, last only a short time, and can go away without help. However, other cases are more serious and require treatment.

 These symptoms could suggest that you need a doctor’s help:

• Pain in your jaw muscles or the joint itself

• Pain that spreads to your face or neck

• Stiffness in your jaw

• Limited jaw movement

• Locking in your jaw

• Painful jaw clicking, popping, or grating sensations when you open or close your mouth

• Hearing loss or ringing in the ears

• Dizziness

• Changes in the way your teeth fit together

When to Get Treatment for Jaw Popping

Treatment methods for jaw popping and clicking are dependent on what the underlying cause is. It is common for the jaw to pop and click at times.

Most of the time, jaw popping and clicking will go away in a few weeks or months, and it is not cause for concern. However, it can be the sign of an underlying condition that should be checked out.

If your jaw clicks and pops regularly for a long period of time, and you are experiencing pain and/or other symptoms along with the popping and clicking, you should see a medical professional to find out what the cause might be.

Treatment Options

Typically, jaw clicking and popping is part of a temporary condition. It can often stop on its own without the need for treatment.

When treatment is necessary, the least invasive and non-permanent options are considered best.³ Try to avoid treatments that are going to change your jaw or bite permanently, or those that are invasive, such as surgery.

Here are some less invasive management and treatment options:

• Chew soft foods.

• Avoid extreme or repetitive jaw movements, including gum chewing.

• Use ice packs for pain.

• Try over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications for short-term relief.

• Practice stress management and jaw relaxation techniques.

• Consider physical therapy and massage.

• Try wearing night guards or mouthpieces at night to prevent teeth grinding and clenching while you sleep.

• Consider dental work. Necessary dental work can correct an overbite or underbite, which can help with jaw popping and clicking and TMD.

Your dentist and medical professional will need to work together to determine the cause of constant jaw popping and clicking, especially if there is also chronic pain and/or additional symptoms that need to be addressed. This can sometimes be related to an underlying medical condition that will need to be addressed.

Most of the time, the best thing to do for jaw popping and clicking is to manage it at home by keeping your jaw relaxed as much as possible. Self-care practices can help with this.