Jaw Pain and TMJ Care in Perth

What jaw pain and TMJ problems feel like

Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) sit just in front of your ears and connect your jaw to your skull. Problems with the joint and the muscles around it can cause:

• Clicking, popping or grating when you open your mouth or chew
• A jaw that catches or locks, so you can't open fully
• Pain in the jaw, face, or in front of the ear
• Headaches, especially at the temples
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or a full feeling in the ear
• Neck tension, especially at the top of the neck
• A tired, aching jaw after chewing, or a bite that doesn't feel even

Why it happens

Inside each jaw joint is a small disc that cushions the joint as your jaw opens and closes. When the joint is strained, that disc can slip out of place. That's often the click.

If the disc slips further and gets trapped, it can block the joint from opening and rotating properly. That's when the jaw starts to catch or lock, and it becomes harder to treat the longer it's left.

Common contributors include:

• A knock to the face or jaw, sometimes many years ago
• Clenching or grinding (bruxism), often from stress or at night
• Forward head posture from long hours at screens
• Stiffness at the top of the neck
• Braces, dental work or changes to your bite
• Chewing gum or tough foods

The real cost: you

Jaw problems rarely hurt like a bad back. That's what makes them easy to ignore. They just quietly get worse.

The click you ignored at 16 becomes a jaw that locks at 30. Then come the headaches, the ringing in your ears, the sore neck, cracked teeth from grinding, and a lifetime of dental bills. Even your face can change shape, as one side's chewing muscle grows bigger than the other.

Add that up over the years. You're not just living with a clicky jaw. You're paying for it in your teeth, your sleep and your head. Don't normalise it. Get it looked at early. Live alive. Live you.

A note from Geoff

If anyone knows TMJ trouble, it's me. Going up for a mark in under-16 footy, I copped an ill-timed knock to the face. There was a wincing pain in my jaw, and soon after, a click.

It wasn't a big deal. It just clicked. But after braces changed my bite, the click turned into a mild lock. Over time, my chewing muscles (the masseters) became uneven, with one side bigger than the other. Today, more than 20 years on, I have arthritis and wear in the jaw joint, a jaw that clicks and cracks, and a bite that looks like a camel eating carrots. I've never had much pain with it. Just a lot of dysfunction and a lifetime of dental work.

My best friend is a dentist, and we've spent many hours talking through TMJ problems and how to manage them. Jaw problems are closely linked with headaches, tinnitus, the top of the neck and forward head posture, which ties back to tech neck and migraines. So I look at the jaw, the neck and the upper back together.

Releasing a locked jaw is one of my favourite parts of the job. Alongside that, we use X-rays to check your neck where clinically required, give you specific exercises and habits, and refer you to your dentist when a splint would help protect your teeth from grinding. That's the Vitality Method.

Try this right now

Stand in front of a mirror and slowly open your mouth as wide as is comfortable. Does your jaw drift to one side, click or catch on the way? Now notice your teeth right now. Are they touching? They should be slightly apart at rest.

Clicks, drifting and clenching are all clues. Bring what you noticed to your first visit.

How we assess jaw pain

We take a full history, including old knocks to the face, braces and dental work. Then we examine how your jaw opens, closes and moves side to side, listen for clicks, and check the muscles of the jaw and face, your neck, upper back and posture.

Where clinically required, X-rays help us check your neck. If we suspect a dental problem, such as a bite issue or grinding that needs a splint, we'll refer you to your dentist. We work alongside dentists, not instead of them.

What your plan will include

Here's exactly what happens when you come to Vitality with jaw pain:

• About an hour of detailed consultation and clinical assessment
• Digital X-rays if clinically required, bulk billed with a valid Medicare card
• Specific adjustments to assess whether change is possible for you
• If change is possible, and it's what you want, a care plan built around you and your lifestyle
• Gentle jaw, face and neck soft tissue work and exercises
• Referral to your dentist for a splint if grinding or your bite needs it
• Daily tips to improve your posture and help manage stress and tension

My promise to you

Jaw problems vary, and so do responses to care. A jaw that's been locking for years can be hard to treat. I won't promise a permanent result or a set number of visits.

What I do promise is a careful look at your jaw and neck, an honest answer on whether we can help, and teamwork with your dentist when that's what you need.