Jaw pain that hasn't settled on its own
Clicking, locking, morning headaches and facial tension usually have a cause worth finding. We assess where yours is coming from before recommending any treatment.
- Clicking or popping
- Jaw locking
- Morning headaches
- Ear and temple pain
- Painful chewing
60 minutes with Dr Chris Hart. Imaging, if needed, is quoted before it's taken.
Which of these sound familiar?
Temporomandibular disorder shows up differently in different people, and it is often mistaken for migraine, sinus trouble or an ear problem. Tick anything you have noticed in the last few months.
Jaw pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis
The temporomandibular joints sit just in front of each ear and carry load every time you chew, speak or swallow. When something overloads them, the pain can come from the joint itself, from the muscles working around it, or from both. Those need different treatment, which is why the assessment comes first.
Clenching and grinding
Sustained muscle load wears enamel, fatigues the chewing muscles and stresses the joint. Often it happens during sleep, so most people are unaware of it.
Sleep and breathing
Night-time grinding is often linked to disrupted breathing during sleep. If the airway is part of the picture, treating the jaw alone tends not to hold.
How your jaw developed
Narrow dental arches, a high palate or mouth breathing in childhood can leave the joint working in a position it was never built for.
Bite and tooth wear
When teeth meet unevenly, or have worn, broken or been restored out of position, the muscles compensate and the joint takes the difference.
Joint and disc changes
The small disc inside the joint can shift out of position, which is a common reason for clicking, catching or a jaw that locks.
Injury and strain
A blow to the jaw, a whiplash injury, or long periods held wide open can start symptoms that persist well after the event itself.
Why jaw pain often starts with how you breathe
Dr Hart on what the jaw joint is actually built to do, why clicking and night-time grinding so often trace back to the airway, and why that changes the treatment. Jump to the part that applies to you.
What a TMJ assessment involves
One appointment, 60 minutes, $99, at either clinic. You leave knowing what is driving your symptoms and what the realistic options are.
Your history
When it started, what makes it worse, how you sleep, previous dental work, any trauma or orthodontics. This narrows the field more than anything else does.
Clinical examination
Range of motion, joint sounds, muscle palpation, how your teeth meet, and the wear patterns on your teeth. We check the joint and the muscles separately.
Imaging where it is indicated
Radiographs or 3D imaging when the examination suggests changes inside the joint. We only image where it will change the plan.
Your findings and options
An explanation of what we found and the treatment options that suit it, with costs and timeframes in writing. Options may include a custom splint, bite adjustment, referral for physiotherapy, sleep investigation, or restorative treatment.
Assessed by Dr Chris Hart
Principal dentist, iHeart Smiles
Dr Hart has practised for over 25 years across complex restorative dentistry, aesthetic reconstruction, craniofacial pain and airway management. That combination matters for jaw pain, because bite, muscle and breathing problems frequently travel together and are often treated in isolation.
- BDSc (Hons), University of Queensland
- BSc in Biochemistry and Physiology
- MPhil in Biomedical Science, University of Cambridge
- Clinical focus in complex restorative dentistry, craniofacial pain and airway management
Two clinics, Gold Coast and Tweed
Book a TMJ assessment
Choose where you'd like to be seen. Same 60-minute appointment with Dr Hart at either clinic.
Prefer to talk first? Call Mermaid Beach on (07) 5575 1790 or Tweed Heads on (07) 5523 1666.
Common questions
Is it TMJ or TMD?
TMJ is the joint itself. TMD, temporomandibular disorder, is the group of conditions affecting that joint and the muscles around it. Most people say TMJ when they mean TMD, and either term is fine when you book.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book a TMJ assessment directly. If your GP, physiotherapist or specialist has sent you, bring any imaging or notes you have.
What does an assessment cost?
The in-person TMJ assessment is $99. That covers the full 60-minute appointment: your history, the clinical examination of the joint, muscles and bite, and an explanation of what we found.
Imaging is not included. If the examination indicates radiographs or 3D imaging, we tell you what it costs before anything is taken, and you decide. Treatment is separate again, and quoted in writing after the assessment.
The online consultation is $49.
What can you tell from an online consultation?
An online consult is a discussion, not an examination. We go through your symptoms, your history and what you have already tried, and work out whether an in-person assessment is worth your time and what it would likely involve. We cannot palpate muscles, check your bite or listen to the joint over video, so an online consult does not produce a diagnosis on its own. It suits people outside the Gold Coast and Tweed area, or anyone who wants to talk it through before committing to an appointment.
Will I need a splint or night guard?
Sometimes, but not always, and the type varies considerably depending on whether the problem is muscular, within the joint, or related to your bite. A splint made without a diagnosis behind it can make some presentations worse, which is why we assess first.
Can jaw pain be related to my sleep?
It can. Night-time grinding is often associated with disrupted breathing during sleep. If your history suggests that, we will discuss it at the assessment and arrange the appropriate investigation or referral.
Does TMD go away by itself?
Mild episodes often settle. Symptoms that have persisted for months, or that are getting worse, are worth investigating, particularly where teeth are wearing or the jaw is locking.
Do you take health insurance?
Yes, iHeart Smiles accepts all major Australian health funds and we claim on the spot.
The information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice. Treatment outcomes vary between patients, and all treatment carries risks that will be discussed with you before you consent. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risk.
The self-check above is an awareness tool only. It does not provide a diagnosis and no result from it should be relied on as one.
The $99 assessment fee covers the 60-minute appointment. Radiographs, 3D imaging, splints and any subsequent treatment are quoted separately.
iHeart Smiles. Dr Chris Hart, BDSc (Hons). Mermaid Beach QLD and Tweed Heads NSW.