My jaw has been popping in & out of place for over 2weeks!!?

Question

okay, one day I was just sitting there,and I noticed my jaw popped..? And ever since that very moment, it hasn't stopped! it's now been over 2-3 weeks! it goes down about 1 inch then pops/cracks and when I close my mouth it does the same. How did this happen? someone told me it could be from grinding my teeth..? but, I'm more worried about how to fix it! do I go to the doctor or the dentist? and another person told me the dr. has to Break my jaw and put it back into place..?! I'm kinda scared... Help?

Answer 1

you could have whats called TMG..... see a dr....

Answer 2

A jaw joint has 2 movement phases. The 1st phase is when it rotates as you open to about 2 cm. The 2nd phase is when it slides forward to maximum opening. You can feel this if you put your fingers on your face just in front of your ears.
Between your jawbone and your skull is a disc or "cushion" so that your bones don't grind together. This disc must move with the jaw in these movements, and it is pulled by a muscle (lat.pterygoid). For various reasons, sometimes the disc gets left behind when you move from Phase 1 into Phase 2, and then it suddenly catches up with a click. In the reverse phases it can click again. Usually there has been some trauma in the past, like wisdom teeth removal, not simple grinding.
If you have no pain, then simple conservative treatment is the place to start:
1. Avoid ANY actions that cause the clicking. e.g. wide opening, yawning widely, laughing widely, singing.
2. Cut up your food into small, soft pieces. Things like biting apples with a wide mouth or chewing crunchy bread rolls are no-nos.
Generally it will settle down after a few weeks of care, but you will always be vulnerable in future. Research shows that it is most common in 20-35 year olds, and more often in women, but diminishes with age. Further treatment is only necessary if pain occurs, or your jaw gets locked out.
Dentists DO NOT break jaws for this problem, ever! This may be a misconception about when your jaw locks out and has to be manipulated back into place.
Braces are not a realistic solution.

Answer 3

If you've had the popping for over 6 months, it may not be possible to get it to go away completely, but conservative treatment may be able to eliminate any pain that you experience. (Although you didn't mention pain, so hopefully, there is none.) By "conservative," I mean simple bite adjustment, an appliance (like a night guard or other), medication, physical therapy, or some combination of all four.

Start with your dentist. The so-called "breaking the jaw" treatment is for about one out of a thousand, so don't worry about that yet.

Answer 4

I had the same problem and had to see the dentist because it became painful when I ate or just opened my mouth. They told me I needed braces to correct my bite and that I could be grinding my teeth when I sleep- which they can just give you a mouthguard to wear at night to see if that helps. Or you might have TMJ (lockjaw)...breaking your jaw is a last resort that I wouldn't worry about.

Answer 5

Of course the doctor wont break your jaw....(without your consent). I think the problem lies with your chewing habit. Maybe you chew food using only the left or the right side of the mouth. Be conscious about your habit. Food should be evenly chewed around your mouth. But please go to your dentist to be sure whats really going on with your jaw.

Answer 6

Sounds like T.M.J. Temporal mandible jaw I would go see an orthodontist.

Answer 7

you may have TMJ, having to do with the temporal mandibular joint where your jawbone connects with the rest of your skull. it is normal, see your dentist and they can give you a referral to a specialist.

Answer 8

I had that. See site below on who can help.

http://phifoundation.org/neck.html