This is a question many of our patient’s ask. The answer to this question can be complicated, but also very simple. If you heard a “click” or “Popping” from another joint in the body (shoulder, knee, or hip), you would want to have it examined by a trained specialist. “. Most Americans live with some form of noise in their TMJ and do not get treated for this condition. The most common noises we hear are “clicks”, and “popping”. The most common reason for this is simply incoordination between muscles, and teeth. A healthy functioning mouth has TMJ, muscles, and teeth all coordinated to work in harmony. This results in noise free joints, relaxed muscles, and teeth that are not worn down, or cracked. If your teeth have shifted, are worn down, or have visible cracks, then there is a good chance that muscles maybe tender, with the possibility of joint noise. In addition to this condition, a patient who also has night time parafunction habits (grinding/ clenching) can exacerbate or throw the system into disharmony. The long term prognosis is good if the condition is treated properly. Most of our patient’s who have had various conditions have been successfully treated, and are now very stable and happy. Please feel free to send any comments on our blog.
Yours in good health,
Neeraj Khanna, D.D.S.