Why is my Jaw Making a Popping Sound
Summerlin, Las Vegas, and Henderson Nevada
When your jaw opens and closes, what should you hear? The answer is nothing at all. However, many people hear some sort of sound—usually a clicking, popping, or grinding—emanating from the jaw joints. The clinical term for this is crepitus, and it could be a sign of a serious ailment called temporomandibular joint disorder. How do you know when the popping sound coming from your jaw is something that should be examined by a professional? Just follow this guide, provided by your Las Vegas dentist Dr. Matthew Wilson at Inspire Dental of Summerlin.
There can be several reasons why the jaw joints make a popping sound
In most cases, if your jaw makes a sound as it opens and closes, this noise is made by a pressure that causes movement and, with it, a release of nitrogen gas and bursting synovial fluid. These sounds are more common than you might think.
The noise, most likely, is emanating from the temporomandibular joints—two small joints where the lower jaw, also known as the mandible, connects to the skull. You may detect a clicking, popping or other sounds that are indicative of crepitus due to pressure exerted on the articular disc by the head of the mandible; pressure on the joint capsule itself; or a deterioration of the cartilage in the temporomandibular joint itself.
Jaw sounds caused by temporomandibular joint disorder have a distinctive sound
That, at least, was one of the findings of a study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Scientists recorded the jaws of patients, placing them into four categories depending on the sound, or lack of sound, that emanated. Three dentists listened to the recordings and determined that the sounds coming from the jaws of individuals suffering from TMJ disorder had a “significantly different” sound.
If you notice a popping sound from your jaw, it can be indicative of TMJ disorder, especially if you notice it in combination with other symptoms, such as pain when the jaws pop, limited range of motion in the jaw, or if the popping occurs regularly during the same activity—i.e., every time you yawn or chew.
Jaw Pain in Las Vegas
The reality is that the average person does not possess the knowledge to determine whether the clicking or popping sounds coming from the jaw are indicative of TMJ disorder or not. The only way to tell for sure is to seek a medical professional, and no medical professional is better qualified to identify TMJ disorder than a neuromuscular dentist. Practitioners of neuromuscular dentistry in Summerlin specialize in an area that focuses on the alignment of the bite and jaw. They undergo extensive post-graduate education and training in the field and have the specific experience to know whether or not the popping or clicking sounds coming from your jaws are harmless or a sign of TMJ disorder.
Are you living with jaws that pop, click, or are painful? You owe it to yourself to know whether or not you have TMJ disorder. Schedule a consultation with your Las Vegas neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Matthew Wilson, today by calling our office at (702) 331-4700.
Inspire Dental of Summerlin is proud to offer comprehensive, comfortable care to our patients in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas, and Summerlin in Nevada.