Jaw Discomfort: Why Dr. Dickson Checks Your Bite

Transcript accompanies the approved October 15, 2026 edition.

If you wake up with a sore jaw, tight temples, or clicking near your ears when you chew, it might not just be stress. It could actually be your bite. When your top and bottom teeth don't line up correctly, whether it's an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or just a single crooked tooth, it puts your entire jaw in a constant state of flex. Think of your jaw like a door hinge. If the hinges are off by even a fraction of an inch, the door drags, sticks, and strains the frame every single time you shut it. So how does that turn into pain? First, muscle exhaustion. Your chewing muscles have to go into overtime. When your teeth don't meet evenly, those muscles twist and shift your jaw just to get your back teeth to touch so you can chew. Imagine holding a heavy shopping bag two inches away from your body all day. Your arm gets exhausted fast. That's what your jaw muscles are doing leading to chronic tension, facial soreness, and headaches. Second, joint strain. An uneven bite forces your temporomandibular joint, the TMJ, right in front of your ear out of its natural resting socket that squishes the tiny cushioning disc inside causing that telltale popping, clicking and joint pain. To make matters worse, your brain notices those uneven spots while you sleep and tries to rub them down by clenching and grinding, putting up to 10 times more pressure on your jaw overnight. The good news is you don't have to live with it. Orthodontic treatment, custom night guards and orthotics or simple bite adjustments can rebalance your bite and take that constant pressure off your joint. If your jaw is clicking or aching, it might be time for your bite to be checked. Call or schedule your appointment online for a Forma consultation.