by Malavi Sivakanesan • 20 March 2025 • 6 min read
Do you sometimes hear or feel any clicking sound in your jaw that occurs when you chew, yawn, or even speak? If yes, then you must have thought, “Why does my jaw click?” or “Why do my jaws click when I chew?” This jaw clicking is also known as temporomandibular joint clicking. It can happen for simple reasons, like excessive chewing or minor misalignment. But sometimes, it may signal an underlying issue, especially if accompanied by pain and stiffness.Understanding its causes can help determine whether it's harmless or a sign of something more serious. Read on to learn why your jaw clicks and when to seek medical attention.
Understanding Jaw Clicking
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) attaches your jawbone to the skull and allows the jaw to make movement. Jaw clicking, or TMJ sound occurs when the TMJ does not function smoothly.
If you hear a clicking sound occasionally, then there is nothing to worry about. It can happen due to simple everyday life activities like frequent chewing, talking, or even yawning.
However, when clicking becomes constant or painful it could indicate a condition like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). Therefore, regulating thedifference between harmless and problematic clicks regularly is very important to maintain oral and general health.
Some Common Causes of Jaw Clicking
There are several reasons for jaw clicking, ranging from habits to medical problems. The following list contains some of the most common reasons behind jaw clicks:
Cause 1: Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
Jaw clicking is a very common factor in TMD. TMD affects almost 70% of the population, and it occurs when your TMJ gets inflamed or injured or given excessive stress to the joint. It results in clicking or popping sounds. Jaw pain after sleeping, difficulty chewing food, and improper jaw alignment are some symptoms of MD.
Cause 2: Tooth Grinding (Bruxism)
Bruxism or tooth grinding is an involuntary action in which you will continuously clench or grind your teeth in your sleep. This can increase the pressure on your jaw joint, which results in pain in your jaw, clicking sounds, or missing teeth if it is ignored.
Cause 3: Arthritis
Arthritis can affect your jaw by causing inflammation and damaging the TMJ's cartilage. When the cartilage on TMJ is torn off over time, bones under the cartilage are forced to rub each other. As a result, this friction can cause clicking sounds, jaw pain when biting, and even jaw stiffness.
Cause 4: Injury or Trauma
An injury to your jaw, like from a fall or a punch on your jaw, can misalign the TMJ. This can lead to clicking and popping sounds, jaw pain, or even a misaligned jaw. For misaligned jaws, using Invisalign braces is the simplest and best solution to fix your jaw position.
Cause 5: Poor Posture
Sometimes poor posture can actually be a cause of jaw clicking. Slouching or holding your head forward for long periods might put unnecessary strain on your neck, jaw muscles and joints. This can result in misalignment of jaw, neck pain, and popping sounds.
Signs That Jaw Clicking May Be a Problem
Painless, occasional jaw clicking is mostly harmless, but frequent popping may signal you a serious condition that needs attention. Here are a few symptoms associated with clicking for which you may need medical attention:
- Chronic pain that persists in your jaws, face, or ears, particularly when you are chewing or speaking.
- Difficulty in opening or closing your mouth fully or having stiffness in your jaw.
- Getting stuck in the jaw position, where it becomes almost impossible to move your jaw.
- Regular headaches, earaches, swelling of the face, buzzing or ringing in your ears (tinnitus) etc.
- Swelling around the jaw joint, along with clicking, could point to inflammation.
For more details on jaw-related discomfort, you can explore Types and Locations of Jaw Pain to better understand the potential causes and symptoms.
Protect Your Jaw Before It's Too Late
Ignoring frequent jaw clicks may lead to chronic pain, damage to the joint or even loss of your teeth over time. You can start with simple remedies like not having hard foods and practising stress-reducing strain on your neck and jaws.
Malavi Sivakanesan
Malavi Sivakanesan is the principal dentist and co-founder at Complete Smiles in Harrow, Greater London. She is responsible for establishing the Complete Smiles brand throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and has 5 successful practices under her strong leadership.