Why Does My Jaw Click or Pop? TMJ Explained Simply

By Lovik Mirzaeian, DDS. Updated September 2026.

Your jaw clicks or pops because the small cushioning disc inside the jaw joint has slipped slightly forward, and the click is the sound of the joint bone sliding back onto it as you open. On its own, a painless click is common and usually harmless. It matters when it comes with pain, locking, or a jaw that will not open fully.

The joint is called the temporomandibular joint, TMJ for short, and problems with it are grouped under the label TMD. Here is what is actually going on and what makes a difference.

What Is Happening Inside the Joint

The lower jaw hinges against the skull just in front of each ear. Between the two bones sits a disc of cartilage that lets the joint both hinge and slide forward when you open wide. When that disc sits slightly ahead of where it should, the jawbone has to hop onto it as you open and off it as you close. That hop is the click.

If the disc slips far enough forward that the bone cannot get onto it at all, the jaw stops short. That is locking, and it is a different level of problem from a click.

The Common Causes

Clenching and Grinding

By far the most common driver. Hours of muscle tension every night loads the joint far beyond what chewing does, and the disc and ligaments gradually give. Most people who clench do not know they do it. Morning jaw ache and headaches around the temples are the tell, and our piece on night grinding covers the other signs.

Stress

Stress tightens the jaw muscles during the day as well as at night. Many people discover they hold their teeth together constantly without realising it. Teeth should only touch when swallowing or chewing.

An Injury or Overstretch

A knock to the jaw, a long dental appointment held wide open, a large yawn, or a wide bite into a thick sandwich can strain the ligaments and start a click that was not there before.

Arthritis

The jaw joint can develop osteoarthritis like any other. This tends to produce grating rather than clicking, and stiffness in the morning.

Bite and Habits

Chewing gum for hours, chewing on one side only, nail biting, and resting the chin on a hand all load the joint unevenly. A bite that has changed after losing back teeth shifts the load too.

When a Click Is Nothing to Worry About

A click with no pain, no locking, a full range of opening, and no change over time is something a large share of the population has. It does not need treatment and it does not need worrying about. Many clicks come and go over years.

When It Needs Attention

Pain in the joint or the muscles around it. A jaw that locks open or closed, even briefly. Opening that has become limited, meaning you cannot fit three fingers stacked between your front teeth. A click that has recently become painful. Ear pain or fullness with no ear infection. Headaches that track with jaw tension. Any of those is worth an assessment.

What Actually Helps

Most jaw joint problems settle with conservative care, and surgery is rarely needed. The American Dental Association makes the same point, and it is worth being wary of anyone recommending something irreversible early on.

Rest the joint. Soft food for a couple of weeks, no gum, cut food small, avoid wide yawning by supporting your chin.

Stop the daytime clenching. Lips together, teeth apart, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth. Check yourself hourly for a week and you will be surprised how often you find your teeth together.

Warmth on the muscles, twenty minutes at a time, relaxes them. Cold helps a sharply painful joint.

Gentle stretches. Slow, controlled opening and closing, and gently gliding the jaw side to side, done a few times a day.

A night guard if grinding is the driver. It reduces the load on the joint overnight and protects the teeth at the same time.

Over the counter anti-inflammatories for a short period help break a cycle of muscle spasm.

Physical therapy for the jaw and neck is effective for persistent cases, and stress management is not a soft suggestion here, it is often the thing that fixes it.

What to Avoid

Popping the jaw deliberately to make it click. Chewing gum. Sleeping face down with the jaw pressed into a pillow. Wide biting. And irreversible treatments, bite adjustments or surgery, before conservative care has been given a real try.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my jaw click when I open my mouth?

The cushioning disc inside the jaw joint has slipped slightly forward, and the click is the jawbone hopping onto it as you open. Clenching and grinding are the most common cause. A painless click with full opening is common and usually harmless.

Is a clicking jaw something to worry about?

Not on its own. It becomes worth assessing when there is pain, when the jaw locks or catches, when opening becomes limited, or when a click that was silent for years becomes painful. Those signs suggest the joint or the muscles need some attention.

Can TMJ go away on its own?

Often, yes. Many jaw joint problems settle within weeks with rest, soft food, stopping daytime clenching, warmth and gentle stretching. Persistent cases usually respond to a night guard and physical therapy. Surgery is rarely needed and should be a last resort.

Does a night guard help a clicking jaw?

If grinding or clenching is the cause, which it usually is, yes. A guard reduces the load on the joint overnight and protects the teeth. It does not reposition the disc, so the click may remain, but the pain and muscle tension usually improve substantially.

Jaw Clicking and Hurting? Let Us Check the Joint

An assessment looks at the joint, the muscles, your bite and your teeth for wear, and tells you whether this is a harmless click, a grinding problem, or something that needs a plan. Most cases are handled with a guard and a few habit changes. Contact us to set up a consultation.

Lovik Mirzaeian, DDS has achieved extensive training in multidisciplinary dental treatments. His credentials include Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Full Mouth Reconstruction, Endodontics, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, and Sleep Sedation. Our office puts your comfort and smile first, and we are dedicated to giving you top-notch dental care. Get ready to show off your perfect smile!

Looking for a trusted family dentist in Clovis? Dr. Mirzaeian welcomes new patients of all ages.