Jaw pain, clicking and teeth grinding.
It clicks when you yawn. In the morning your jaw is stiff and your face feels tense. Your partner or your dentist has mentioned grinding at night. Here the cause sits where it hurts – and that is exactly why it can be measured.
This page goes deeper into the section Jaw clicking & teeth grinding in our overview of complaints. There you will find the short overview, here the context.
What happens in the jaw joint
The jaw joint is one of the most mobile joints in the body: it rotates and glides at the same time, and between the head of the joint and the socket lies a cartilage disc, the disc. If the interplay of joint, disc and chewing muscles does not run smoothly, the typical noises and pain arise. With bruxism – grinding and clenching, usually at night and unconsciously – the jaw muscles also work against resistance for long stretches without you noticing.
CMD is not the picture of a single broken part, but a reflex, nerve-driven misregulation: the interplay is controlled wrongly – via receptors in the periodontium, in the joint and in the muscles. Why this arises →
Signs you should take seriously
- Clicking, grating or popping when opening and closing the mouth.
- Pain in front of or in the ear when chewing.
- Restricted mouth opening, or opening that deviates to one side.
- Tense or tender chewing muscles at the cheek and temple.
- Stiffness or pain in the face in the morning.
- Worn-down teeth, cracks in the enamel, sensitive tooth necks.
- Your partner hears you grinding at night.
To put this into perspective: occasional, painless clicking is common and not in itself a reason for treatment. You should pay attention if pain is added, mouth opening changes, or the complaints persist for weeks.
Why looking early is worthwhile
Grinding and clenching strain three systems at the same time: the hard tooth structure, which loses enamel and can become more sensitive; the jaw joint with its disc; and the jaw muscles, which are under constant tension. This tension rarely stays local – it can carry on via muscle chains into the temples, neck and back of the head. That is why jaw complaints so often occur together with headaches and neck tension.
How severe such a strain becomes in an individual case cannot be predicted. What can be said: the earlier you know how the jaw system actually works, the more options you have.
How we proceed
Instead of guessing, we measure. The CMD System Check records, among other things, muscle activity by EMG, chewing forces tooth by tooth and the movement paths of the lower jaw. Only from these data does it emerge whether and where the jaw system is misregulated – and whether an individually planned splint, an adjustment of the bite position or something quite different first is the right step.
For us, accompanying measures belong together with this rather than in competition: physiotherapy, manual therapy, osteopathy and stress management are a proven, guideline-oriented first line for jaw complaints. We are glad to work with the professionals you are already seeing.
You take the first step in two minutes with the CMD self-test.
When you should not wait. You need an immediate dental or medical assessment – not planned functional diagnostics:
- if the jaw suddenly locks and can no longer be closed or opened
- with severe swelling, fever or difficulty swallowing
- after a blow or fall onto the face
- with sudden numbness in the face
This is not a formality, but the point at which order matters.
Frequently asked questions
Clicking without pain – do I need to do anything?
Occasional, painless clicking is common and not in itself a reason for treatment. If pain is added, mouth opening changes, or the noises persist for weeks together with other complaints, an assessment is worthwhile. The CMD self-test gives a first assessment.
Is a ready-made splint from the pharmacy enough?
A ready-made splint can protect the teeth from wear. However, it is not matched to your bite position, and whether it fits in an individual case depends on the findings. An individually planned splint is made on the basis of functional diagnostics and addresses exactly that point. What makes sense for you is something we clarify beforehand – not afterwards.
Is botulinum toxin an alternative for bruxism?
Botulinum toxin temporarily weakens the chewing muscles and can dampen the tension. It changes nothing about the bite position or the control. Whether it is an option in an individual case needs to be discussed and weighed up with a doctor.
Can grinding be addressed without a splint?
Yes, and this is often the first step: stress management, sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques and physiotherapy are important building blocks and effective for many people. Whether a splint also makes sense is decided by the findings – not by the complaint alone.
Is it coming from the jaw system? Take the self-test
Without obligation – with an initial assessment straight away.
Other patterns of complaints
CMD rarely shows itself in just one place. Do you recognise yourself here?