While disc displacement with reduction is the most common cause of clicking in the temporomandibular joint, it is not the only possible cause. Sometimes the joint just clicks because the lower jaw can be opened too far. This is called "subluxation" of the temporomandibular joint.
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Subluxation of the mandibular condyle. On maximum mouth opening, the condylar head is briefly trapped anterior to the articular eminence. This is accompanied by a clicking sound |
Patients who have this subluxation can usually overstretch other joints in the body. As their connective tissue is very elastic, over time the disc is also displaced. Other causes for temporomandibular joint clicking are a tight ligament in the joint capsule or joint surfaces that do not fit together properly. The temporomandibular joint specialist can judge if the click has to be treated or not on the basis of a clinical examination and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).