Contents
Jaw clicks: causes and treatment
Basically, this phenomenon, when the jaw makes clicking sounds from time to time, does not pose a great danger. However, these clicking or crunching sounds can be annoying or even painful. In this case, you need to contact an orthodontist.
Jaw clicks: causes and treatment
There may be several reasons why the jaw crunches.
Clicking can also occur due to the stress experienced, which led to muscle spasm.
Trauma to the jaw may also be the cause.
Chewing crunch can be caused by improper treatment by a dentist or orthodontist.
The disease can also occur due to ordinary caries, which becomes the cause of a malfunction of the entire temporomandibular joint.
If the filling is incorrectly placed, symmetry can be violated, which leads to one-sided loads on the jaw, displacement of the discs and subsequently to pain and crunching.
Curvature of the bite and accompanying crunching can also lead to bad habits (such as thumb sucking in childhood, putting your hand under your cheek while sleeping), diseases of the ENT organs, respiratory disorders (adenoids), bruxism, periodontal disease etc. With a correct bite, all the teeth of the upper jaw, with the exception of the incisors, in pairs are in contact with the similar teeth of the lower jaw, and the upper incisors only slightly overlap the lower ones.
An incorrect bite can cause not only a crunch in the jaw, but also lead to headaches, insufficient chewing of food, impaired swallowing and respiratory functions. Bowel disease and periodontal disease are not uncommon. A disproportionately large load on the jaw can lead to premature tooth loss.
What does the clicking of the jaw say?
Clicking the jaw most often indicates temporomandibular joint dysfunction. The classic symptoms of this pathology affect the joints themselves, ears, head, teeth and face. Pain in the ears, neck, head, or chewing muscles may appear. Due to the proximity of the temporomandibular joints to the auricles, their damage can cause ringing in the ears, congestion, or even hearing loss.
Clicks in the mandibular joint are not necessarily painful. The sound produced by this can be heard by others.
What to do if your jaw clicks
In most cases, the crunch when moving the jaw is caused by an incorrect bite – congenital or acquired (due, for example, to improper treatment). Correction of occlusion and alignment of teeth is dealt with by a separate area of dentistry – orthodontics.
How an orthodontist can help correct a bite
Orthodontic treatment methods are divided into removable and non-removable. The first include mouthguards – universal or individual transparent plates to be worn on the teeth. Thermoplastic mouth guards are pre-soaked in hot water and, when put on, precisely follow the shape of the jaw.
With more significant deviations from the norm, braces are used, of which the most effective and economical are iron. There are also lingual braces that are attached to the inside of the teeth and are completely invisible.
Expert Opinion
– If such a clicking of the jaw occurs rarely, then this may be the norm. But only under the condition of normal blood pressure.
However, this can be a symptom of some diseases, including lesions of the articular disc, dislocation, arthritis, arthrosis, ankylosis. In any case, it is necessary to check the function of the thyroid gland, blood sugar indicators. The condition of the jaw is very important for the general health of a person, so if you notice symptoms associated with clicking the jaw, you should consult a doctor and try to solve the problem at an early stage.
Nothing personal, Daria Vertinskaya