Jaw popping is a pinging sound from of the jaw, that may be accompanied by pain. Thus, Jaw popping can happen when the jaw is stretched too far, like when the mouth is opened too broad when falling asleep or eating. Sometimes it’s caused by problems with the temporomandibular joints, which are the joints that link up the jawbone to the sides of the head.
Why Does My Jaw Pop When I Chew? When these joints don’t work right, it’s called temporomandibular disorder (TMD) or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD), but it may be called TMJ by mistake.
Symptoms
If your jaw clicks or pops, this could be a sign of tmd disorder.
Popping of the jaw may be the sole sign. But TMD can very often cause other signs and symptoms, such as:
- pain and suffering
- earache
- headache
- neck ache
- Pain or discomfort in the face or jaws Trouble opening the mouth Wide jaws that “lock” in an either open or closed stance Trouble eating Facial swelling
- toothache
Causes
People think that problems with both the jaw bone or even the tmd ligaments and tendons cause TMD (TMJs). But jaw popping can happen to individuals regardless of age or gender, and it may be caused by things like:
- grit their teeth
- Regularly chewing gum or biting your nails too much, clenching your jaw,
- the act of biting the interior of the mouth or lip
Why Does My Jaw Pop When I Chew? Jaw popping can also be caused by a number of health problems, such as:
Arthritis
Any type of Arthritis is an illness that affects the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are two of the most common types of arthritis. Both can damage the cartilage in the TMJ.
When the cartilage in the TMJ wears away, it can be hard to move the jaw and can cause the joint to pop and click.
There are also these other signs of arthritis:
Joint pain, stiffness, inflammation, or swelling, and a lowered range of motion.
People who have rheumatoid arthritis can also feel tired and lose their appetite.
A problem with the jaw
Jaw popping may be caused by biting your nails, grinding your teeth, or chewing gum a lot.
Jaw popping can be caused by a broken or dislocated jaw, which happens when the joint of the jaw comes loose.
Some common ways that the jaw gets hurt are:
- Accidents on the roads
- Assaults on the body
- Sporting injuries
- Tripping and falling
If you hurt your jaw, you should see a doctor, especially if you also have: bleeding \bruising \swelling
Myofascial pain syndrome
Myofascial pain syndrome is a long-term pain disorder that makes trigger points in some muscles hurt. It happens when a muscle is used over and over again for a long time. So, it could affect people who have jobs or play sports that require them to move the same way over and over again.
Jaw popping can be caused by myofascial pain in the jaw.
Myofascial pain syndrome has these signs:
- Changes in attitude
- Delicate points in muscle sleep difficulties
- Muscular pain continual or progressive pain
Sleep apnea
Unquestionably, sleep apnea is a prevalent condition that causes shallow breathing or pauses in breathing while sleeping.
perhaps, Sleep apnea comes in two types: obstructive sleep and pivotal sleep apnea. Both of these can make your jaw pop.
Some signs that you have sleep apnea are:
- Daytime headaches from being too sleepy
- Mood disorders
- People with sleep apnea also may snore when they sleep.
Since sleep apnea can make people more likely to get serious health problems like elevated blood pressure, heart attacks, and obesity, people who have trouble sleeping should see a doctor right away.
Misalignment of the teeth
Malocclusion of the teeth, also called an overbite or underbite, causes the jaw and mouth to be out of place. This can make you pop or click your jaw.
When teeth don’t fit together right, you’ll usually need to see an orthodontist.
Infection
Some people pop their jaws because their salivary glands are infected.
Oral infections also have these other signs and symptoms: dry mouth, poor taste in the mouth, pain and swelling in the face,Oral infections may need antibiotics or other kinds of treatment.
Tumors
Nearly any part of the mouth can get a tumor. Depending on where they are, tumors can make it hard to move the jaw, which can lead to such a popping sound or feeling.
Some tumors can cause cancer to start growing.
Treatment
Some people might need medical interventions rather than of or in addition to these home remedies.
Home remedies
Some home remedies for popping jaws are:
Hot packs and cold packs: Putting an ice pack on the jaw joint for 10 to 15 minutes and then a warm squish for 5 to 10 minutes may help relieve symptoms. This kind of varying warm and cold therapy can indeed be performed several times a day if needed.
Don’t eat anything hard or crunchy: Popping your jaw and other jaw problems can be made worse by crunchy, fresh veggies or chewy foods like caramel. People should instead eat soft foods like yogurt, cooked vegetables, and beans. People should take small bites of food so they don’t have to open their mouths too wide.
Among the possible treatments are:
Medication: A doctor or dentist may prescribe high doses of NSAIDs, pain killers, anti-anxiety drugs, or antipsychotics to treat TMD.
- Ultrasound: Continuous exposure to that same joint may make the jaw more mobile and relieve the pain.
- Laser therapy or radio transmission therapy: These treatments get the jaw, mouth, and neck to move and relieve pain.
- Surgery is typically the last thing people who have a popping jaw can do. What’s wrong will determine what kind of surgery is needed.
- If you have symptoms like your jaw popping, you ought to seek a second or additional opinion prior to actually going through with surgery.
Conclusion
Why Does My Jaw Pop When I Chew? Most of the time, jaw popping is just a transitory problem that can be fixed at home or by making changes to how you live.
But people should see their doctor if their jaw popping lasts, gets worse, comes back, or is preceded by distress or even other symptoms. It is important to deal with the root cause of jaw popping so that it doesn’t lead to other problems.
