Why Does Your Jaw Pop When You Eat?
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Do you notice a popping sensation or clicking sound from your jaw while chewing, yawning, and even opening your mouth?
It may be a symptom of jaw joint disorder (TMJ disorder). Meanwhile, certain bodily disorders and health conditions are also associated with such jaw popping. Keep reading to know more about them.
What are the main reasons behind clicking or popping jaw?
1) Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ disorder)
Temporomandibular Joint is one of the complex joints in our body. It connects our jawbone to the skull. Facial movements are also attached to this joint whilst it is also responsible for the jawbone’s mobility for activities like chewing, and others.
TMJ disorder happens with dysfunction in this joint. Mostly, it happens due to dislocation or displaced disks in the jaw. Activities like teeth grinding, clenching, chewing gums frequently will tighten the facial muscles and is followed by this painful sensation in the jaw.
2) Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder that causes swelling and tenderness in the joints in our body. Mostly, it weakens the tissue that covers the end of our bones and causes stiffness in the muscles surrounding the joints. Thus arthritis provokes an aching sensation in jaw bone joints.
On the other hand, factors like aging, uric acid crystals, compromised immune system also cause arthritis.
If you have popping jaw due to arthritis, getting the right treatment after pinpointing the exact cause of this condition will give you the cure.
3) Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Myofascial Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain disorder that happens when constant pressure is applied to sensitive points in muscles. Generally, it happens for people who indulged in strenuous activities that require repetitive motions.
For instance, sportspersons whose muscles are contracted excessively than other persons have higher chances of developing popping jaw due to myofascial pain syndrome.
4) Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that makes breathing an intermittent process during sleep by collapsing the airway. When the airway is blocked, our body has an instinctive response of pushing the lower jaw to open the airway. This exerts excessive stress and tension in the jaw joint and provokes TMJ disorder, followed by clicking jaw.
5) Jaw bone injuries
Physical assaults over the jawline like sports injuries, sudden blow will damage the jaw bone and possibly dislocate the disk in the jaw. It leads to a painful sensation in jaw when you open your mouth. It can be fixed with appropriate in-office dental treatments.
6) Infection in Salivary Glands
When the salivary glands get infected with microbes due to infectious conditions like mumps, flu, or others, it affects the tissues and muscles that exist around the salivary glands. Problems like dry mouth, swelling around face, pus in the mouth are common symptoms.
When the salivary gland infection spreads to the jaw bone, it will lead to painful and popping sensation in the jaw.
How can you get rid of Jaw popping?
There are various at-home and in-office treatments to cure jaw popping. If you prefer home remedies like cold compress or medications like ibuprofen, consult your dentist before taking them.
Here are the common treatments we are providing for this problem:
- Laser therapy to ease the stiffness in muscles around the jawbone. Radiowave therapy also stimulates jawbone movements.
- Dental solutions to address problems like underbites, overbites, misaligned teeth because they are also stimulating jaw popping.
- If any of these solutions provide the cure, a surgical approach is mandatory.
Apart from getting timely treatments, taking medications to reduce pain in jaw, activities like wearing mouthguards while sleeping (if you have the habit of teeth grinding), switching to soft foods for a few days and avoiding strenuous activities for some days also help in healing this condition.
