TMJ and Jaw Pain, Broughty Ferry

A Jaw That Aches, Clicks or Catches?

Q: Is a clicking jaw serious?

A painless click is common and rarely anything to be concerned about. Where there's pain alongside it, or the jaw catches, locks or can't open all the way, an assessment is worthwhile. Treatment tends to be simple: a splint, some changes of habit such as giving up chewing gum, and softer food for a spell usually prevent it from getting any worse.

Q: Does stress cause jaw pain?

Frequently, yes. When you're stressed you clench harder, in the daytime without noticing and overnight too, and the muscles of the jaw bear the brunt. The biggest gains come from noticing and releasing the daytime clench (at rest your lips should be together and your teeth apart) combined with a night guard while you sleep. A warm compress and gentle stretches can soothe aching muscles until then.

Q: Will a night guard stop jaw pain?

In most cases, if the pain stems from clenching and grinding during sleep: as the muscles get some respite, most people notice an improvement within a few weeks. Where the joint itself is the problem rather than the muscles, a hard splint (£620), fine-tuned to your bite across several appointments, does a better job than a standard guard. Should things not improve, we'll look again for another cause. The price of a night guard is £210.

Q: Can TMJ problems be diagnosed by a dentist?

Yes. Diagnosing temporomandibular disorder involves examining the jaw joints, the muscles you chew with and your bite, alongside your history and, if necessary, an X-ray. The majority of cases are managed in the practice with a splint, guidance on habits and some simple jaw exercises. Where there are signs of something more serious, for instance a jaw that locks repeatedly or changes to the joint showing on an X-ray, you'd be referred to the oral and maxillofacial team at the hospital.

The jaw pain we see at our Broughty Ferry practice is nearly always muscular: chewing muscles worn out by clenching or grinding. In most cases it settles with a few simple measures at home and, if necessary, a night guard (£210) or a splint. When you come in, we examine the joint, the muscles and your bite, and rule out other causes such as a tooth or an ear problem.Nearly always it's tired jaw muscles from clenching or grinding, and it usually settles with simple measures and a properly fitted splint.

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An emergency visit is £70, and you don't have to be a registered patient. Outside our hours, NHS 24 is on 111. ¹

What to Do in the Meantime

These usually take the edge off over the first few days, while you wait to be seen.

Rest the Joint

Stick to soft food cut small for a few days. Leave out chewing gum, toffee and anything crusty, and try to stifle wide yawns.

Heat, Followed by Slow Movement

Press a warm flannel to the painful side for about ten minutes, then open and close gently a handful of times. Do this two or three times daily.

Notice When You Clench

Your teeth should be apart when the jaw is at rest. Lips together, teeth slightly separated, tongue resting against the palate. Check in on yourself whenever it crosses your mind, at your desk or sitting in traffic on the Kingsway.

Painkillers for a Few Days

Ordinary painkillers or anti-inflammatories from the chemist can help briefly. Stick to the dose on the box, and ask the pharmacist if you're on other medication.

What We Can Do

Because most jaw pain is down to the muscles, simple treatment usually works. The job is to work out what's keeping it going.

A Proper Examination

We palpate the chewing muscles and the joint, measure your opening, check the way your teeth come together and look for signs of wear. Where the joint or a particular tooth needs closer inspection, we take an X-ray.

Adjusting the Bite

A filling or crown that sits a fraction high, or missing back teeth leaving gaps, can put strain on the joint. Easing or replacing them is often enough.

A Night Guard

If you grind or clench in your sleep, a made-to-measure night guard (£210) spreads the load and gives the muscles a rest.

An Occlusal Splint

For pain that keeps returning, marked wear or a joint that clicks, a rigid splint is fine-tuned across several appointments until the muscles let go (from £620).

Habits and Triggers

Stress, long days at a laptop, too much coffee, biting your nails and chewing gum all feed clenching. We'll go through which ones apply to you.

Referral Where Needed

If the jaw locks repeatedly, or treatment doesn't shift the pain, we refer you to the oral and maxillofacial team at the hospital, either directly or via your GP.

Go to A&E or Ring 999 If

The jaw is stuck open and you can't bring your teeth together

You've taken a knock to the face and your bite feels different from before

The pain in your jaw is accompanied by chest pain, breathlessness or pain spreading down an arm, which can mean a heart attack

See Us If

Most days the jaw is sore or clicks, or it momentarily sticks as you open

Mornings start with a stiff jaw, tight cheek muscles or a headache around the temples

Your front teeth are wearing shorter or chipping, or fillings keep fracturing

There's earache, or pain just ahead of the ear, without any ear infection

The trouble started shortly after a filling or crown was placed

The Joint Itself

Just in front of each ear, the lower jaw hinges against the skull at the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. A small cartilage disc cushions the hinge, and powerful muscles in the cheeks and temples drive it. Trouble with any part of this system is known collectively as temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.

A painless click is common and seldom anything to worry about; it usually means the disc is slightly out of sync with the joint. What's worth having checked is pain, stiffness or a jaw that catches. For most people the source is the muscles rather than the joint.

How Treatment Tends to Go

For most people, simple measures bring relief within a few weeks, and a guard or splint usually eases morning stiffness quite quickly. If stress or poor sleep is behind the clenching, it may flare up again in busy periods, and we'll be honest with you about that.

We don't advise reshaping healthy teeth to alter the bite as an opening move for jaw pain. Treatments that can be reversed come first.

Fees for Jaw Pain

An emergency appointment is one flat fee. Anything longer term is quoted in writing before it begins. Fees checked October 2026. ¹

Emergency appointment, same day	£70
Examination with a dentist	£70
Custom night guard	£210
Hard acrylic splint	from £620
Large X-ray	£75

See every fee

Common Questions

Why it happens, clicking, splints and stress.

What causes jaw pain?–

The usual cause is overworked chewing muscles, strained by clenching or grinding, frequently at night and often tied to stress. Less commonly the joint itself is at fault, for example when the disc inside it slips out of position (producing a click) or the joint has worn. A change in your bite, perhaps from a filling that sits high or from teeth that have been lost, can trigger either. Because toothache and sinus trouble can mimic jaw pain, it's worth getting it checked; there's more on our jaw pain and TMJ page.

Is a clicking jaw serious?+

Does stress cause jaw pain?+

Will a night guard stop jaw pain?+

Can TMJ problems be diagnosed by a dentist?+

Night guard or occlusal splint: what's the difference?+

Guides

Grinding and Jaw Guides

All general dentistry guides

General dentistry · 6 minute read

Crown, onlay or filling: picking the right repair for a tooth

Have Your Jaw Checked

An examination pins down what's causing the pain and what will relieve it, before we make or adjust anything.

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