What causes the jaw to make a sudden cracking sound after taking a bite?

Question

I was eating a the crunch chocolate, and after a second bite my right jaw made this sudden cracking sound, and I felt a pain for a moment but it only lasted for about a minute. This has happened occassionally.

I was thinking that this may relate to dental symptoms...I hadn't mentioned this the last time I went to see a dentist (which, I think, was a year ago or a little more than that).

What do you think?

Answer 1

you might have a DISLOCATED JAW JOINT(tempero-mandibular joint)

sometimes the ligaments which hold your jaw to the rest of the face are LAX allowing the jaw-bone to move out of place when you take a big bite , resulting in the clicking sound you heard .

if you dont feel pain in the joint area (in front of the ears) then its not a problem . in fact some people benefited from having a lax tempero-mandibular joint
(like one person who made the guiness record for maximum number of cigarettes smoken at once; because he could voluntarily dislocate his jaw , he could make his mouth very big , so he can smoke a lot of cigarettes at the same time)

Answer 2

This cracking noise that your jaw makes could be early signs of tmj problems. Try not to over work the jaw with chewy foods,dont chew gum. Also it could be related to the fact that you might be clenching or grinding you teeth at night, if this is the case you may need a night gaurd ( a custom fitted appliance your dentist makes for you that you sleep with, also covered by most insurances.) Also if you are under alot of stress the muscles get very tight in the neck ect.. all connected. Most people have to just live with this suttle discomfort the more serious tmj cases require surgery which Iam sure you dont. Your tmj (temporal mandibular joint) is like a hinge and sometimes that hinge gets a little sqeeky or rusty and dosnt glide as well. Give it a little tlc.

Answer 3

I know what this is, I have had it myself. It is called TMJ. It is a problem with your jaw and the bones that make up the jaw, they are out of alignment. My chiropractor always fixed my TMJ. Sometimes it travels to the other side.

One thing good for TMJ is hot compresses. That means you put a small towel in very hot water and then to your whole jaw the one that hurts, you will feel it relaxing.

Also another reason for TMJ, could be stress, that you grind your teeth in your sleep and then you get TMJ. TMJ is also a sign of tension or stress in general. Please go to a chiropractor who will align your jaws right. Another thing to not do when having TMJ problems is to lie on the jaw that cracks or hurts, and maybe lying on the other one, might just transfer the pain to the other one, so just try and sleep on your back, during serious TMJ problems. The hot compress works wonders. Also if your jaw is craking when you open your mouth to bite something, that means you should eat softer foods in the mean time or break up the chocolate bar into small pieces, so you don't need to bite down, same for an apple, or even meat, cut it up into small pieces. Good luck

Answer 4

It is most likely TMJ Disfunction. I suggest you see your dentist and ask for a recommendation of a specialist in the field. This can usually be taken care of with a program to help take the pressure off of your jaw. Sometimes it gets a bit more complicated depending on the extent of the problem. If you have no pain, that's good. Just don't let someone talk you into surgery.

You also need a check up, at least once a year for your dental care.

Answer 5

Much of what was written above is correct.

I would sugest going to the dentist and getting an appliance manufactured that will help prevent this condition.

NEWSFLASH - "TMJ" is a Joint. A bit of anatomy that everyone has, like a knee or a chin.

the CONDITION is called "TMD" which is Temporo-Mandibular Disease or Disorder.

Just a heads-up in case you actually want to sound like you know what you're talking about.

Of course, I've tried to correct the popular misconception that local anesthetic is "novacaine." Novacaine is obsolete and NO dentist or anyone else has used it for 25 years. But, It's like "coke" or "jello" or "kleenex"...people just call it that and don't want to learn the right way. sigh....

Answer 6

it may desire to be ghosts, or a alien craft... or you're able to be employing too plenty electricity. if the blow drier makes the lights flicker... verify the wiring and be careful, sounds like a fire could start up. additionally do exactly no longer change on too many stuff interior a similar room on a similar time.

Answer 7

You probably have TMJ it is an alignment issue with your jaw joint. TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome. Talk to your dentist.

Good Luck

Answer 8

Well....I had that problem when I would give my boyfriend BJ's every single day (or more)!!! But it was worth the cracking sound and little bit of pain ;)