The inability to open or close your jaw
all the way may signal what they call
"disk displacement without reduction."
Usually when you open and close your jaw a
small disk stays between your jaw bone and
the place where it meets your skull or
cranium. When you hear clicking and
popping, that usually means the disk is
being "displaced" when you chew. When the
disk is jammed to the back or front of the
disk space and does not move back all the
way, it limits how far you can open and
close your jaw.
Take a look at
www.rad.washington.edu
for a discussion of jaw joint anatomy at
the University of Washington's site.
Bottom line: If it's not that painful or
bothersome, you probably don't need
immediate treatment. But you may want to
monitor your condition carefully and
perhaps be evaluated by a dentist with
lots of experience treating TMJ problems.
Here's a professional group of dentists
who specialize in evaluating and treating
TMJ. There's a locator function for
finding a specialist in your state:
www.aacfp.org - The
American Academy of Craniofacial Pain is
an organization of about 500 dentists and
other clinicians who treat TMJ.
Good luck!
