Jaw popping isn’t a comforting feeling. It’s nothing like the pop of a champagne cork or a firework. When you open your mouth and your jaw pops, it’s unsettling, and you may wonder whether you should be worried.
Here’s what jaw popping is, why it happens, what helps, and when it’s worth getting checked.
What is jaw popping?
It’s the sound of the disc inside your jaw joint slipping out of line and snapping back as you open and close. It happens in the temporomandibular joints, the hinges on each side of your head.
A little anatomy helps. Your lower jaw, the mandible, is a single bone, but a complicated one. It’s one of the only bones in the body that connects to both sides. Picture one bone with two hinges, one on each side of your head. Those hinges are the temporomandibular joints, or TMJs for short, because people love three-letter acronyms.
Think of each TMJ as a ball and socket. The top of the jaw is the ball, and the side of the head is the socket. Between them sits a disc. When the joint is out of alignment, the disc snaps out of place and back again as you move. That’s the pop you hear.
Why does my jaw pop?
Because one side of your jaw is working differently from the other. That imbalance makes the joint snap instead of glide.
The jaw works like a hammock, which is why it can pop.
If you know me, you know I love analogies. Picture your jaw as a hammock hanging between two trees. The hammock is your lower jaw, and the hooks are your TMJs. When the load is balanced, it swings smoothly. Load it unevenly and it still swings, but not smoothly. Somewhere in each swing, the hooks pop and snap before it changes direction. Your jaw does the same thing when one side is out of harmony with the other.
Try this quick test
Put your fingers just in front of both ear canals and open and close your mouth. The movement you feel is your TMJs. If you feel a pop, the joint isn’t working in harmony. The louder the pop, the more out of line it is.
Is it bad if my jaw pops or clicks?
Usually not, unless other symptoms come with it. About 30% of people worldwide have some degree of jaw popping, so you’re far from alone. If nothing else is affecting your life, it’s usually something to keep an eye on over the years.
It’s worth getting checked if your jaw popping comes with any of these:
- Pain when it pops
- Trouble opening wide enough to chew or speak
- A jaw that tires easily or feels sore through the day
- Frequent headaches
- Ear pain
These are signs the imbalance is causing other problems. That’s when to see a TMJ dentist or your primary care doctor. What these symptoms share is that they’re all part of TMJ dysfunction, also called temporomandibular disorder.
TMJ dysfunction covers a range of symptoms caused by strain when the jaw, joints and muscles are out of harmony. Common ones include clenching or grinding (bruxism), headaches, ear pain, ringing in the ears, tired jaw muscles, lockjaw and limited opening. Some people have one sign, others have several, and severity varies a lot. For a deeper look, see the ultimate TMJ guide.
What makes jaw popping worse?
Often you’re not doing anything wrong. Jaw popping comes from your anatomy. But some habits make it worse, and patients have found relief by cutting back on them:
- Chewing gum
- Biting your fingernails
- Grinding your teeth
- Clenching your jaw
- Pushing your jaw forward
- Chewing on pens and pencils
Some of these you can’t fully control. However often I tell you to stop grinding or pushing your jaw forward, you’ll still catch yourself doing it. That’s OK. It’s a sign your jaw is subconsciously trying to find balance. If these changes don’t help, it’s time to see a TMJ dentist.
What other conditions cause jaw popping?
TMJ dysfunction is by far the most common cause, but five others are worth knowing.
Arthritis
Arthritis can damage the cartilage of the jaw joint. Both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) can affect the jaw. As the cartilage breaks down, the jaw moves without proper support in the socket, and that can cause popping.
A broken or dislocated jaw
Think back. Did your jaw ever take a hit? Car accidents, slips and falls, and sports injuries are the most common causes. An injury can break or dislocate the jaw. A dislocation happens when force knocks the joint off its hinge.
How your teeth fit together
The occlusion of the teeth is a fancy way of saying how your top and bottom teeth fit, like puzzle pieces. If they fit poorly, your upper and lower jaw meet incorrectly, which causes strain and, you guessed it, popping. Even beautiful-looking teeth may not put your jaw in its ideal position. That’s why people with perfectly straight teeth can still have jaw popping.
Myofascial pain syndrome
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) causes chronic muscle pain. Tight spots called trigger points hurt when pressed, and the tension in those muscles can overpower the jaw joint’s ligaments and make the jaw pop.
Infection
Infection is usually easier to spot: pain, warmth or swelling, pus or a fever. An infected salivary gland can lead to jaw popping, but the most common infection behind it is a wisdom tooth.
Because wisdom teeth sit at the very back of the mouth, swelling around an infected one can keep the jaw from opening well on that side, which can cause clicking and popping. If you’re between 15 and 30, have limited jaw opening and still have your wisdom teeth, get an x-ray of them before any other jaw treatment. Once a troublesome wisdom tooth is out, the popping and TMJ symptoms often improve.
How do you treat jaw popping at home?
Start with simple remedies for a couple of weeks. If you don’t get relief, see a TMJ dentist.
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen reduce inflammation.
- A warm compress on the sore side for 10 to 15 minutes. Cold packs are usually for when an infected tooth, like a wisdom tooth, is behind the problem.
- Soft foods. Skip crunchy, chewy and hard foods like raw vegetables and fruit, caramel, popcorn, gum and candy. Stick to soup, yogurt, oatmeal, rice and quinoa.
- Relax your jaw, and your mind, whenever you can.
- Don’t open too wide. Go easy on singing, yelling and gum until things settle.
What can a dentist do for jaw popping and TMJ?
Treatment targets the imbalance behind the popping. Options include:
- An orthotic or splint to guide your jaw into better harmony and reduce strain and popping
- Muscle relaxers such as Robaxin to ease the muscle tension behind the popping
- Orthodontics to realign the upper and lower jaw
- Equilibrating, or balancing, the bite. A filling or crown that’s too tall can change how one side works compared with the other.
- Restoring missing, broken or very worn teeth to give the bite support
- As a last resort, surgery, which is needed in less than 5% of cases
Which exercises help with jaw popping?
Posture, tongue, neck and jaw stretches all help. Stop any exercise that causes pain.
Posture
Holding your head forward or to one side can feed TMJ problems, and so can repetitive tasks that strain your head and neck. This exercise builds good posture and eases stiffness:
- Stand with your back and shoulder blades against a wall.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together to draw your shoulders back and down.
- Tuck your chin and move your head back until it touches the wall.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds, then release.
- Repeat five times.
Tongue
Your tongue is a powerful muscle and can add to the strain behind jaw popping. This exercise is recommended by Cork University Dental School & Hospital:
- Gently rest your back teeth together.
- Rest the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth.
- Curl your tongue back along the roof of your mouth as far as it goes.
- Keeping it there, slowly open your mouth.
- Hold for five seconds, then relax for five seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
Neck
Your neck can indirectly affect your jaw muscles. It isn’t always the cause, but it’s good to rule out.
- Sit comfortably with your shoulders and head in a neutral position.
- Tilt your head forward and gently press on the back of your head to deepen the stretch.
- Hold up to 30 seconds and return to neutral.
- Look up and lift your chin toward the ceiling without letting your head drop back.
- Hold up to 30 seconds and release.
- Tilt your head to the right and gently press on the left side to deepen the stretch.
- Hold 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
- Circle your head clockwise four times without letting it fall back past your shoulders, then counterclockwise.
Jaw
Your jaw muscles and ligaments are directly involved in popping. This stretch loosens them:
- Sit comfortably and open as wide as is comfortable.
- Gently press your hand or fist against the front of your jaw to deepen the stretch.
- Hold up to 30 seconds. Stop if it hurts.
- Slide your jaw to the left and gently press against the right side with your hand or fist.
- Hold up to 30 seconds. Stop if it hurts.
- Slide your jaw to the right, press against the left side and hold 30 seconds.
- Repeat each stretch four times.
Should you worry about your jaw popping?
Don’t lose sleep over it. If you are losing sleep over it, it’s time to see a professional.
Snap, crackle and pop: the bottom line on jaw popping.
Occasional jaw popping isn’t much of a concern and can simply be watched. If it happens often and comes with other symptoms, take action. Try the home remedies above first. If you’re still having trouble after a couple of weeks, talk with your dentist, who may refer you to a TMJ dentist to look further and get you on the path to relief.
Not close to Waltham? Patients from Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Wellesley, Concord, Lexington and Waltham can send photos and records before they travel, so Dr. Charles Sutera can review them first. Find us at 75 3rd Ave, Waltham, MA 02451, call (781) 487-1111, or read how TMJ evaluation and treatment work.
