Joint and muscle assessment
We listen to and feel the joints as you open and close, measure your range of movement, check for deviation and locking, palpate the muscles and examine the teeth for evidence of grinding.
About this treatmentDental condition · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Jaw clicking: what the sound means and when a noisy joint needs attention
The jaw joint is unusual. It is one of the few joints in the body that has to work as a pair, sliding as well as rotating, with a small disc of cartilage riding between the ball of the jaw and the socket in the skull. A click is the sound of that disc slipping. Most often it has been pulled slightly forward by the muscle attached to it, so that on opening the jaw catches up with it with an audible snap, and on closing it slips off again. Around a third of adults have a joint that clicks at some point, and for the great majority it is a curiosity rather than a problem: no pain, full movement, no consequences. It becomes worth investigating when it hurts, when the jaw starts to catch or lock, when the click is new after a knock, or when it accompanies heavy grinding that is damaging the teeth. Our Wimpole Street team assesses the joint alongside the muscles and the bite, and treats conservatively: surgery is almost never the answer.
Recognising it
How it usually feels
A single click or pop on opening, sometimes another on closing
The disc slipping back into position and then off again; the classic reciprocal click.
A grating or crunching sound
Bone or roughened cartilage surfaces moving on one another, suggesting wear in the joint.
The jaw deviating to one side as it opens
One joint moving less freely than the other.
A moment of catching that needs a wiggle to get past
The disc briefly blocking the path before the jaw slips over it.
Ache in front of the ear, worse with chewing or wide yawning
Inflammation of the joint capsule or the tissue behind the disc.
Behind the symptoms
What's going on
- 01
Disc displacement
The cartilage disc has slipped forwards on the head of the jaw, usually because the ligaments holding it have stretched. On opening, the jaw moves forward until it recaptures the disc with a click. If the disc later stops being recaptured, the click disappears and the jaw may lock with limited opening.
- 02
Clenching and grinding
Bruxism loads the joint for hours at a time, compressing the disc and stretching its attachments. It is the commonest aggravating factor in clicking that hurts, and treating the grinding often settles the joint.
- 03
Hypermobility
Some people’s ligaments are naturally loose throughout the body. Their jaws open unusually wide, the joint travels beyond its normal range, and the disc slips readily. These patients are also more prone to the jaw dislocating on a wide yawn.
- 04
Injury
A blow to the chin, whiplash, a difficult wisdom tooth extraction or a prolonged wide-open dental appointment can strain the joint capsule and displace the disc. Clicking that starts after a specific event is usually of this type.
- 05
Joint wear and arthritis
Osteoarthritis roughens the joint surfaces and produces grinding rather than a clean click. Rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritides can also involve the jaw, particularly in patients who already have them elsewhere.
Before your appointment
What you can do today
- Rest the joint for a couple of weeks: softer foods, small bites, no chewing gum, and support your chin with a fist when yawning to limit how wide you open.
- Apply warmth to the side of the face for ten to fifteen minutes and gently massage the muscles in the cheek and temple.
- Practise opening slowly and straight, watching in a mirror, with the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth; this trains the jaw to track without deviating.
- Avoid deliberately clicking the joint to “reset” it; each click is another stretch of the ligaments.
These are holding measures, not a substitute for an examination. Use any pain relief exactly as directed on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
In the chair
How we treat it at Wimpole Street
Reassurance and monitoring
For a painless, non-locking click, the right treatment is often no treatment. We explain what is happening, what to watch for and review it at routine visits.
About this treatmentStabilisation splint
A hard night guard reduces the load from clenching, decompresses the joint slightly and often reduces both pain and the intensity of clicking over a few weeks.
About this treatmentJaw exercises and physiotherapy
Controlled opening exercises, stretching and posture work retrain the muscles that guide the joint. Where needed we refer to a physiotherapist with a special interest in the jaw.
About this treatmentManaging bruxism
Reducing clenching and grinding through awareness, splint therapy and, in some cases, masseter injections takes the pressure off a joint that is being overloaded.
About this treatmentSpecialist referral
Persistent locking, suspected arthritis or a joint that dislocates repeatedly is referred for imaging and an oral and maxillofacial opinion. Surgery is rare and reserved for the few who do not respond to conservative care.
About this treatmentFees
Costs to expect
An examination at Wimpole Street with a full jaw joint and muscle assessment is expected to be £95. Many clicking joints need nothing more than this and advice. Where a stabilisation splint is indicated, a laboratory-made Michigan-type appliance is indicative at £795 including fitting and one adjustment.
Physiotherapy referrals and masseter injections are quoted separately, and any specialist imaging or maxillofacial consultation is arranged with the fee confirmed before booking. If tooth wear from grinding needs repairing, bonding is from £395 per tooth and crowns from £995, planned once the joint has settled.
Figures are indicative prices for Wimpole Street and are confirmed in a written plan once a dentist has examined you. Fees match our South Kensington and St Paul's clinics.
Don't wait if
When to see a dentist
- The click has become painful or the joint aches after eating.
- Your jaw catches, sticks or has locked, even briefly.
- You cannot open as wide as you used to, or the jaw veers to one side.
- The clicking started after a blow to the face or a whiplash injury.
- You grind or clench and your teeth show wear or chipping.
FAQ
Common questions
Probably not. A stable, painless click that has not changed is a normal variant for a large proportion of adults, and treating it carries more risk than leaving it. Mention it at check-ups so any change is noted, and avoid habits that overload the joint, such as gum chewing and very wide yawning.
This can mean the disc has stopped being recaptured on opening and now stays displaced in front of the jaw, blocking full movement. It is called a closed lock. Many settle over weeks to months with rest, exercises and a splint, but it should be assessed promptly so that the right management starts early.
Not reliably, and attempts to reposition it with special appliances or surgery have fallen out of favour because the results do not hold. Fortunately the joint adapts remarkably well to a displaced disc; most people regain comfortable, full function without the disc ever returning to its original position.
Almost never. Grinding down healthy teeth to alter the bite does not reliably improve joint symptoms and cannot be undone. We might correct a single recent filling or crown that is obviously high, but we do not reshape the bite to treat clicking.
A clicking disc does not in itself cause arthritis, and most people with long-standing clicks have healthy joint surfaces. Persistent heavy loading from bruxism is a more likely route to wear, which is why we focus on reducing that rather than on the click itself.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Leave your details and we will be in touch when the Marylebone diary opens. If the problem cannot wait, the same clinicians are already seeing patients in South Kensington and at St Paul's.
Related conditions
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
