TMJ problems can often go unnoticed by patients until they begin to interfere with your daily function. 

Sometimes the first thing a patient will notice is a click or a pop in the jaw and this usually doesn’t hurt. 

This clicking and popping usually mean the cartilaginous disc of tissue that exists between the two bones of your jaw joint is slipping. The slip makes a click or a pop, sometimes it cannot be heard. Over time this chronic slipping can lead to the disc getting stuck. This getting stuck occurs because the disc has created a roadblock for the normal path of opening or closing or the muscles tighten and spasm. When this happens most people will be able to move their jaw around a little and get the disc to relocate out of the way or the muscle to relax and the patient can open or close fully. This getting stuck can last a second to years. If you have experienced joint noise, or you can’t open or close as wide as you think you should be able to you need a TMJ evaluation.