What is jaw popping? Jaw popping can be a painful sensation that’s caused by dysfunction of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). These are the joints that connect the jawbone to the skull with one joint on each side. It’s the hinge action of the temporomandibular joint that is responsible for your ability to chew, talk and yawn.
Oddly enough, younger persons and women between the ages of 30 and 50 are most likely to experience TMJ, though it’s unclear why. However, anyone of any age and either gender can experience jaw popping and TMJ. Fortunately, the condition is most often temporary, and can be relieved with lifestyle changes and home treatments.
Some causes of jaw popping and TMJ include:
- biting your lip or cheek
- grinding your teeth
- chewing gum often
- biting your fingernails
- thrusting out your jaw
- clenching jaws
Frequently performing these behaviors can cause wear and tear on the joints, which can lead to erosion.
Jaw popping is generally not a cause for concern if there isn’t any jaw pain with it. However, certain underlying causes for the popping can create a TMJ condition that needs medical attention. These causes include:
Arthritis can cause damage to the cartilage of the temporomandibular joint. Loss of cartilage makes the jaw movements lack proper absorption in the joint socket.
If you have sustained an injury such as a broken or dislocated jaw. Dislocation occurs when the jaw joint becomes unhinged. Jaw injuries need to be treated swiftly for proper healing.