Crackling in the jaw
A cracking in the jaw (more precisely in the temporomandibular joint) is in most cases considered unproblematic and does not require therapy. Often a cracking is also not associated with pain. It is important that in this case further influencing factors such as muscular tension, a gap in the teeth, malpositioned teeth or headaches can be excluded.
The situation is different when the cracking noise is accompanied by complaints, up to and including restrictions in eating or movement. This should always be clarified and treated immediately. It is always important to know the duration/frequency and occurrence (type, time) of the sounds and complaints, which in most cases can be attributed to CMD (craniomandibular dysfunction).
Also to be clarified is a cracking (usually lower jaw) after a jaw operation (caused by trauma or wisdom tooth surgery). In this case, the bone can remain very thin and fracture under too much stress after the operation. Hard food should therefore be avoided after such an operation.
