Jaw Clicking Treatment Why Your Jaw Clicks and How Physio Helps
A clicking or popping jaw is one of the most common reasons people search for jaw clicking treatment. The sound can be unsettling, especially when it happens as you eat or yawn. The good news is that jaw clicking is common and often harmless, but it can sometimes come with pain, catching or restricted movement that is worth assessing. This article explains why your jaw may click, when it needs treatment, and how physiotherapy at our Balmain clinic can help.
Jaw clicking does not always require treatment, particularly when there is no pain or restriction in movement. However, if clicking occurs alongside jaw discomfort, muscle tension, or difficulty opening and closing the mouth, a physiotherapy assessment may help identify contributing factors and determine suitable management options. At Sydney TMJ Physio, people in Balmain and the wider Sydney area can explore physiotherapy support for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) concerns. Depending on the assessment, treatment may include gentle jaw exercises, movement guidance, and strategies to reduce unnecessary strain on the joint and surrounding muscles.
Why Does Your Jaw Click?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has a small disc of cartilage that sits between the jaw bone and the skull and cushions movement. A clicking or popping sound most commonly occurs when this disc sits slightly out of its usual position and then moves back as the mouth opens or closes. This is known as disc displacement with reduction.
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How Common Is Jaw Clicking?
A systematic review reported that disc displacement is highly prevalent, with figures ranging from about 18% to 35% in the general population. It described disc displacement with reduction as mostly a stable, pain-free and lifelong condition of the joint, and in the words of the authors, for most people it is just a noisy annoyance.
Other Factors That Can Contribute
Clicking can also be influenced by muscle tension, the way the jaw moves, clenching or grinding, and changes within the joint over time. A literature review noted that clenching and grinding, especially during the day, have been linked with disc displacement, although the relationship is not fully understood. A grating or crunching sound is different from a click and is worth discussing with a clinician.
Jaw Clicking on One Side or When Eating
Many people notice clicking on one side only, or mainly when chewing. These are common patterns, and they do not on their own mean something serious is wrong.
Clicking on One Side
The two jaw joints do not always behave identically, so it is common for one side to click more than the other. If clicking on one side comes with pain, a jaw that drifts to one side when opening, or reduced opening, an assessment can help work out whether the joint, the muscles or both are involved.
Clicking When Eating
Chewing places repeated load on the jaw joints, so clicking is often most noticeable at mealtimes. If it is painless, it usually does not need treatment. If chewing is uncomfortable or the jaw catches, softer foods and a gentle approach during flare-ups can help while you arrange an assessment.
When Does a Clicking Jaw Need Treatment?
According to the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), clicking or popping without pain is common, is considered normal and does not need treatment. A review of disc displacement likewise concluded that active treatment is warranted for symptomatic cases, not for painless clicking. It is worth having your jaw assessed if clicking comes with:
Pain or tenderness in the jaw, cheek, temple or in front of the ear
Catching, locking or a sudden reduction in how far you can open
Difficulty chewing or a jaw that feels stiff or tired
Headaches or ear area discomfort that seem linked to jaw use
If your jaw locks, see a doctor or dentist promptly. If it is stuck open and you cannot close your mouth, seek urgent medical care. Our clinic is not an emergency provider.
How Do I Get My Jaw to Stop Clicking?
It is important to be realistic. Clicking may or may not stop, and treatment is usually aimed at reducing pain and improving how the jaw works, not at silencing the joint. Many people find that the click remains but stops bothering them once pain and tension settle.
Steps That May Help
These general suggestions are not a substitute for individual advice:
Keep your jaw relaxed, with lips together, teeth slightly apart and tongue resting gently behind your upper front teeth
Avoid very wide yawning and large bites during a flare-up
Limit gum chewing, nail biting and resting your chin on your hand
Notice and reduce clenching, especially during stressful periods
Open and close slowly, and avoid deliberately clicking the jaw to test it
What to Avoid
Avoid forcing the jaw wide or trying to push it back into place, and be cautious of routines from videos that are not matched to your assessment. Over-stretching can irritate the joint and the surrounding muscles.
How Physiotherapy Assesses and Treats a Clicking Jaw
A physiotherapist focuses on how your jaw functions and whether it is painful, rather than on the sound alone.
Your Assessment
Your physiotherapist will ask when the clicking started, whether it is painful, and whether the jaw ever catches or locks. They will watch how your jaw opens and closes, measure how far it opens, check the chewing muscles and joints, and screen your neck and posture. If anything suggests a dental, joint or medical cause that needs other care, you will be advised accordingly.
Treatment Approaches
Treatment for a clicking jaw is based on your findings and may include reassurance and education about what the click means, manual therapy to ease muscle tension, and a graded exercise program for jaw control. Slow, controlled opening and closing in front of a mirror is one type of coordination exercise that may be used. A dental splint can be an option for some people, which you would discuss with your dentist.
Systematic reviews of manual therapy and exercise for temporomandibular disorders have reported improvements in pain and jaw movement in some studies, although the overall certainty of the evidence has often been rated as low. Physiotherapy is a reasonable, low-risk approach, but results vary and cannot be guaranteed.
What Is the 3 Finger Test for TMJ?
The 3 finger test is a simple self-check of mouth opening. You stack your index, middle and ring fingers vertically and see whether they fit comfortably between your upper and lower front teeth. Open only as far as is comfortable and stop if it hurts.
It is a rough screen, not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you why your jaw clicks. In one study of dental students, about three quarters could fit three fingers, while around one in nine could not, and the authors concluded that fingers are not a suitable stand-alone measure of normal mouth opening. A physiotherapist measures opening more precisely and considers it alongside pain, movement quality and your history.
Can a Clicking Jaw Be Cured?
Cured may not be the right word. For most people, clicking from disc displacement with reduction is a stable, painless condition, and a literature review found that long-term studies show a favourable progression, with no pain or jaw locking in most patients. The aim of care is a comfortable, well-functioning jaw, not necessarily a silent one.
In a small minority of people, the disc stops returning to position and the jaw can become painful or restricted, which is when active conservative care is most useful. Be cautious of any provider who promises to cure or permanently stop jaw clicking.
Jaw Clicking Myths and What the Evidence Supports
Myth: A Clicking Jaw Always Means Something Is Wrong
Clicking is very common, and painless clicking is generally considered normal and does not need treatment.
Myth: Clicking Will Inevitably Lead to a Locked Jaw
Research indicates that only in rare cases is loss of disc movement accompanied by signs and symptoms of a closed lock. Most people with clicking never develop locking.
Myth: Exercises Will Stop the Clicking
Exercises may improve control and comfort, but they cannot be guaranteed to stop the click. Success is better measured by less pain and easier movement.
Jaw Clicking Treatment in Balmain
At Sydney TMJ Physiotherapy in Balmain, we provide evidence-based assessment and treatment for jaw clicking, popping, pain and restricted movement linked to TMD. Your plan is individualised and goal-oriented, with a focus on long-term function, and we work with doctors, dentists and other health professionals when your care calls for it.
You can find us at 3 Montague St, Balmain. If your jaw clicks and is causing pain, catching or difficulty eating, you are welcome to book an assessment and talk through a realistic plan.
📅 Book a jaw clicking physiotherapy session with Sydney TMJ Physiotherapy in Balmain and get a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
References
Temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction: a review of mechanisms and clinical presentation. Journal of Applied Oral Science (2019), 27, e20180433. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6382319/
Disc displacement within the human temporomandibular joint: a systematic review of a 'noisy annoyance'. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation (2013), 40(2), 139-158. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23199296/
The Basic Conservative Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Anterior Disc Displacement Without Reduction: Review. Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine (2015), 24(4), 731. https://advances.umw.edu.pl/en/article/2015/24/4/731/
Armijo-Olivo, S., Pitance, L., Singh, V., Neto, F., Thie, N., & Michelotti, A. (2016). Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Therapeutic Exercise for Temporomandibular Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Physical Therapy, 96(1), 9-25. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4706597
Use of hand fingers as an index for natural mouth opening in dental faculty students of Tabriz University of Medical Science. Scientific Information Database. https://sid.ir/paper/47410/en
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders). https://nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tmd
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