My jaw keeps clicking/locking...?!

Go and see a dentist that has heard about temporo mandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD), and has dealt with it before. I had this clicking and popping start about 6 years ago and I ignored it, and for the past 3 years have lived with chronic headaches - and I mean 24/7, I have a headache every minute of every day. The doctor couldn't figure it out but I saw a dentist about TMJ disorder and the jaw stuff is linked to the headaches! I wish I had looked into it sooner. Please do not ignore the noises, my dentist/specialist has said the noises are due to the disc between your jaw and your skull has slipped out of place and the click happens when it engages and disengages. Seriously get this checked out!

Personal experience

Yes, a dentist can help you. You may have lock jaw. You may be clenching your teeth at night. The dentist can make you a night guard to protect you from clenching your teeth. Are you under a lot of stress?

Ask your dentist. Your wisdom teeth may be growing in.

You have a temporomandibular joint disorder (aka TMJ or TMD) and your physician is correct because although TMJ is a medical condition, it is treated by a dentist. However, not all dentists know how to treat the problem and it would be in your best interest to avoid oral surgeons and traditional orthodontists, trust me. The clicking you are having is called reciprocal clicking and is caused by anterior displacement (a type of dislocation) of a structure within the jaw joint called the articular disk. The articular disk functions to enable the mouth to open wider than 3 fingers and when it becomes dislocated and cannot get back into joint, it acts like a doorstop to prevent the mouth from opening wide. The jaw will feel like it is "stuck." Then when the disk pops back into place, either on its own or when you maneuver your jaw around, the mouth can open wide again. The dislocation takes place when the teeth are together and reduction (going back into place) takes place when you open. TMJ disorders never go away and always gets worse over time. Reciprocal clicking will progress to intermittent locking (what you are beginning to have now) and eventually to what is called a closed lock without reduction. This means that the disk is no longer able to pop back into place on it s own or with help from you and will remain locked out and limiting mouth opening to less than 3 fingers wide. The most common causes of primary TMJ disorders (aka internal derangements) are deep overbites, Class II jaws (retruded chins), a history pf trauma to the head, and bicuspid extractions when traditional orthodontics was done.

functional orthodontist; treated TMJ since 1984