Hi everyone!

If your jaw joint clicks or pops regularly, you need to consult your dentist right away. Though many people get used to living with their jaw making noise when they chew, these symptoms may indicate a more serious and permanent condition—TMJ dysfunction. Your TMJ may not be causing you any pain, but serious implications of the disorder were recently discussed in a current issue of Dental Health Magazine.

Temporomandibular joint disorder, also known simply as TMJ, can cause a number of problems for individuals with this condition. Early symptoms of TMJ include pain that is localized in the neck and head, headaches and clicking or popping sounds. Many times these noises are a result of the joint disc or cartilage having been displaced or dislodged to the front of the joint. As a result, when you open your mouth the condyle (the “ball” of the ball and socket joint) pops forward onto the disc, and then when you close the ball pops back off the disc, leaving “bone against bone” in the joint itself.  [Read more…]