Many people suffer from headaches, face pain and jaw clicking. Sometimes this is because of problems with the jaw joint. Jaw joint problems affect about 40 percent of people at some time in their life.

Problems that affect the jaw joint
Jaw problems can develop if there are changes in the way your teeth meet when you bite together, for example after having lots of teeth removed. Another cause of jaw joint problems is previous jaw injuries, such as dislocation. A common problem affecting the jaw joint is called temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), where the jaw joint does not open or close correctly.

Symptoms of TMJD
The most common symptoms include:

• pain - usually a dull ache in and around the ear, cheek bone or neck
• headache, especially in the morning
• jaw joint clicking - this may make a sound and you may feel a cracking, grating, crunching or popping sensation
• jaw locking - either open or closed
• being unable to open your mouth properly

If you suffer from jaw joint problems you may have several of these symptoms or you may just have one. Symptoms may be worse during certain everyday activities such as chewing or yawning and you may find they are worse if you are stressed.