Clicky jaw

[Squirrelface]

My jaw has become increasingly clicky on one side, to the extent that I have to avoid overly chewy food for fear of it dislocating. I've delayed going to the dentist, as last time my jaw really hurt whilst keeping it open for so long, and also I'm afraid of it locking in position. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

Mine does this too! I have no suggestions (and it really makes me shudder) but just wanted to let you know you're not alone

The dentist might offer to make you a sort of mouth guard thing - it's like a plastic moulded thing you wear at night to sort it out.

I also find if I prop myself up reading/writing in bed it pushes my jaw forward and makes it do this a lot more.

Don't hesitate to ask for help - if left it can cause some problems and get very painful.

Thanks Mimsy - sorry you're a fellow sufferer. I'm selecting my food on the basis of chewiness these days, like a wearer of bad false teeth!

Yes, Five I think I'm going to have to pluck up courage for a trip to the dentist and ask for advice.

i have this its been going on a few months i have been to docs three times, i can only open my mouth wide enough to almost get two small fingers in (its not helping our love life ((tmi)) i know!) anyway 1st time i was told wear and tear and to have a soft diet which i tried and it didnt help so went back and was prescribed diazapam as a muscle relaxant which have now ran out and im back to square one, the diazy stopped pain but i still couldnt open up wide enough. Now ive been back and been presciped naproxen i think which is like ibuprofen i beleive and hes sending me for an x ray tomorow to ensure nothings broke. Its so frustrating, today i had a sunday dinner and i didnt even chew half my food i just swallowed it down. I have never had it locked in position mind.

My DD gets this - her's occasionally gets stuck then sort of clicks back fairly quickly but its very painful afterwards for a while, - but the dentist is monitoring it and checks every time she goes.
I don't know what causes it, but she did have to wear a very solid brace when she was about 13 (she's 22 now) which pushed her bottom teeth forward - so I wonder if it's connected.

It sounds like you're a teeth grinder and you have TMJ problems.

Ask for a referral to your local dental hospital who can make a specially designed guard for you.

I second Miss Piggy. Sounds like TMJ - tempro mandibular joint prob. I had it while my Mum was v ill and after she died. All in all it lasted about 6 months. Was told I was grinding my teeth in my sleep due to stress and that doing so had inflamed the joint. I could barely open my mouth and my jaw felt like it was dislocated at times (on 2 occasions it was actually stuck in a sort of lopsided position and it took ages for me to free it again.) I had pain all down the side in front of my ear. My dentist made a gum shield thing to wear at night but I couldn't get used to it so didn't really wear it. My friend had the same thing (coincidentally when her Dad was ill and after he died) and in the end she had an op (not sure what it was called). Hers was much worse than mine though. In the end I just took ibuprofen regularly and eventually it subsided. Horribly uncomfortable (and disconcerting at times) though. Have you been extra stressed of late squirrel? Def would suggest seeing your dentist.

I also have a loud clicky jaw. My Osteopath tells me there is a disc in this joint controlled by two muscles and the disc can sometimes slip out of place. With the correct osteopathic treatment the muscles can be helped to take control of the joint and thus reduce the click .
But it is more or less premanant.

i think id love to go out for a meal with you lot, we could be the clicky jaw crew . I had my x rays today at the hospital - my doc refered me as i was avoiding the dentist because its not free , anyway they took dental ones and ones of my head seperate, no visible signs of a break or fracture but my tmj joints one looked like the socket was in and one slightly out - results in 10 days but im reckoning tmj disorder now too, today i have had ear pain with it as well so it all kinda fits in and the stress thing mine started prob about time i w as gettign lots of grief at work about my hours and a colleague also who was getting grief and already has a wonky jaw also started getting bad pain in her jaw as we used to laugh about it and say we were so vexed we must be grinding our teeth at night - im not laughing so much these days because it proper hurts. I love eating, tonight i almost blended up my dinner! I hope you all get some respite soon.

Just came back to check for any more responses, (whilst sucking a rolo) and find the clicky jaw crew has formed! Sorry to hear so many tales of discomfort, but it does help to know you're not the only one, and to have a name for it.

Life has been quite stressful lately, as we have had to arrange for my mother to move into a care home, and although I don't think I grind my teeth, maybe I do tense my jaw when stressed.

The CJC. I like it. hadawee maybe a meal out would be too tricky. Probably should go to an ice-cream or milk shake place first until everyone has got their symptoms a bit more under control. I am ok now so can tackle most things but out of respect to fellow sufferers am very happy to stick to ice-cream (especially chocolate or salted caramel).

squirrel, I wasn't aware of grinding my teeth at all. I suppose if you do it when you're asleep then you wouldn't know unless someone else hears you do it. I agree that you clench your jaw when you are mega stressed and it's only when you consciously try relax that you realise just how much you are doing it. When I had the jaw thing, I also had killer back ache and other joint pain and am 100% sure it was because I was so tense.

Something as stressful as arranging for your Mum to go into care sounds like it would be enough to trigger off the problem and I imagine you've had a fair bit of stress leading up to it. Hopefully if things get more settled, the grinding and related joint inflammation will start to reduce.

Me too. Can I join the CJC?!

I have had a clicky jaw for ages. About 6 months ago it went from doing lots of small clicks whenever I ate to doing the odd enormous click and I was worried it would click out of place. The dentist thinks it is TMJ. He sent me away to see how it goes and then perhaps have a mouth guard. I had one years ago and i used to take it out in my sleep My jaw deviates on one side - looks wonky when I open my mouth. I can only open my mouth a bit - have to stifle yawns! It aches a lot - particularly at the moment. Sometimes I get neck and head aches.

He said he could refer me to a TMJ specialist, but in his experience they charge a lot and you don't get very far!

So when it flares up I eat soft foods - bananas although I have to cut them in half as I can't fit it in my mouth

I catch myself tensing my jaw during the day and then try to relax it.

God yeah come on in and click away! and oh god yeah i had a banana today and i had to nibble it down the side as i couldnt get it direct !! Its a pita isnt it? Im hoping a referal gets me some results ifit is TMJ because i dont like taking tablets all the time.

Me too! I've had it for years and it doesn't hurt or lock but it is getting worse.

DH doesn't like me cuddling up to him and talking though as he hates it, he can feel it every time I speak and it makes him shudder!

I'm certain I don't grind my teeth and the dentist has never said anything. I might ask next time I go.

Can I join?

Mine is a result of a playground jaw injury when I was 12. The doctor (community hospital - she also happened to be my GP) wouldn't x-ray me at the time due to possible harm to my ovaries during a vital development time.

And hence I had to live with a huge swollen purple jaw (broken? Probably not. Dislocated? Maybe. Painful? Hell, yes!) for a few weeks with no painkillers and just salt-water gargles.

And now I have a misaligned lower jaw that clicks and pops out of line.

And I have to remind my dentist why that is on every visit. Seemingly nothing can be done about it now.

Can I join?

Started when I was a teenager and apparently mine was hormonal.

Soooo painful! Still flares up sometimes and really hurts my ear when it does.

I have this too. It is generally not a problem but I had a spell a couple of years back when it was excruciating for about 3 months and I had to live on soup and mush. It was excellent for my weight but God did it hurt! I'm so grateful it has settled again.

My dentist has made me a thingy that is like a block that clips on your front teeth, apparently if your front teeth bite on something hard you have a reflex that relaxes the jaw muscles so this is an easier cheaper alternative to a mouthguard.

hows the clicky crew going? Just thought id revive this as im of to the specialist clicky tmj jaw appt i have long waited for tomorow. Wonder what it will bring...... im dreaming of a nice chewy steak

Oooooh I hope the specialist is able to do lots about your clickiness. (I was poppedoutforapintofmilk btw!). Luckily I haven't had problems for years and years but still remember just how painful and miserable it was. Let us know how you get on.

I wonder how many of you are tongue tied but don't realise it? Unresolved tongue tie can result in clicky jaws, tmj problems and teeth grinding to name but a few things.

DH has clicky jaw and also has tongue tie which we didn't figure out until we were looking into ds1's ties (tongue and lip)

more info here

Thanks, well he didnt have my x rays taken at other local hospital but said he would get them of the pc to look at later, he then manipulated my jaw a lot, rammed both hands in eith er size donning his purple gloves and asked me questions at the same time which made for comical answering. He has give me an excersise to do and asked me to go back in 4 months, since gettign home my jaw is worse than ever as clearly all that manipulation has aggrevated it further. ANyway i will do as im told, my jaw falls to the left when i open or close my mouth so i have to open and close it looking inthe mirror and making big efforts to not deviate to one side, all this he says whilst placing my fingers in my ears - i said what and press and he said no just put them there, i think this can only be for mild amusement on his side so i look a twat inthe mirror though the man behind me inthe traffic jam probably thought the same when i did some exersises..... i will report back if it hets better with my face pulling

Oh and he did have me moving my tongue all about so asume im not tongue tied.

sorry can i really apologise for my bad grammer and typos too i am trying to multi task....

sounds like TMJ. I have a mouthguard at night as I was going severe headaches during the day. Theres some great exercises you can find online to do with your jaw and since ive been doing them my jaw has stopping clicking

yeah TMJ was mentioned when i was refered, i can live with clickyness its the not opening it far that riles me, can you open yours further sinse excerssing?