TMJ clicking with or without pain – What are the causes? | TMJ Crackling

TMJ clicking with or without pain – What are the causes?

The cracking of the temporomandibular joint can cause an unpleasant noise, but it does not always have to be accompanied by pain. Pain often occurs when the temporomandibular joint jumps out of the socket completely (dislocation) and the muscles are overstretched. However, this dislocation need not be complete.

So-called subluxations can occur, in which the head of the joint does not pop out completely, but only partially. These subluxations can even occur almost unnoticed, without the patient noticing anything. If the symptoms occur due to crunching and pressing, the patient has increased tension in the head and neck area in the morning after getting up and in stressful phases of life, which can lead to increased pain.

Diagnosis

Basically, every dentist in private practice should be able to treat joint diseases that lead to temporomandibular joint cracking effectively and on a long-term basis. However, there are also specialists who are primarily concerned with the therapy of temporomandibular joint diseases and their effects and for this reason should be given preference in pronounced cases. For the patient concerned, the choice of the most suitable dentist is a decisive basis for the success of the therapy of temporomandibular joint clicking and its underlying disease.

In most cases, the dentist will be able to determine the cause of the clicking jaw joint after a comprehensive discussion between the doctor and the patient and after a few simple examinations. If after the first diagnostic measures it can be determined that the clicking of the temporomandibular joint is due to a malposition in the area of the jaw, more extensive examinations are usually necessary. Both palpation of the bony parts of the joint and the chewing muscles, as well as a detailed functional analysis are part of the usual examination measures for patients suffering from temporomandibular joint clicking. In addition, it is recommended that an X-ray be taken, which provides a complete picture of the teeth, jawbone and jaw joints and clearly shows signs of wear and tear.