Jaw Pain and TMJ, Glasgow: Aching, Clicking or Locking Jaw?

Q: Is a clicking jaw serious?

A painless click is common and usually needs nothing more than keeping an eye on it. A click with pain, or a jaw that catches or locks, is worth assessing, because a splint and a few habit changes usually stop it getting worse.

Q: Will a night guard stop jaw pain?

For pain driven by night-time clenching and grinding, usually yes within a few weeks, because the muscles get a rest. If the joint itself is the problem, a hard occlusal splint adjusted over several visits works better than a soft guard.

Q: Can a dentist diagnose TMJ problems?

Yes. Temporomandibular disorder is diagnosed from your history and an examination of the joint, muscles and bite, with an X-ray if needed. If the signs point to something that needs a specialist, such as a joint that locks repeatedly, we refer you.

Q: Does stress cause jaw pain?

Very often. Stress raises clenching, especially in sleep, and the jaw muscles are the ones that pay. Noticing the daytime clench and a night guard for the sleep clench together make the biggest difference.

Pain in the jaw joint and the muscles around it is common, usually comes from clenching and grinding, and mostly settles with the right advice and a well-made splint. We check the joint, the muscles and your bite, and rule out anything else.Usually from clenching and grinding, and it mostly settles with the right advice and a well-made splint. We check the joint, the muscles and your bite.

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Emergency appointment £70, registered with us or not, free for dental plan members. Outside our hours, NHS 24 on 111.²

What to Do Now

What helps while you wait to be seen.

Rest the Joint

Soft food cut small for a few days, no chewing gum, no wide yawning or biting into apples and baguettes.

Heat and Gentle Stretching

A warm flannel on the side of the face for ten minutes, then gentle open-and-close movements, a few times a day.

Notice the Clench

Teeth should only touch when you swallow or chew. Lips together, teeth apart, tongue resting behind the top front teeth, as often as you remember.

Painkillers, If You Need Them

Ordinary painkillers or anti-inflammatories as directed on the packet, for a few days.

What We Can Do

Most jaw pain is muscular and responds to simple measures. The aim is to find what's driving it.

A Proper Assessment

The joint, the chewing muscles, how far you open, how your teeth meet and signs of wear. An X-ray if the joint itself needs a look.

Night Guard

If you grind or clench in your sleep, a custom night guard (£210) takes the load off the teeth and the muscles.

Hard Occlusal Splint

For persistent pain, heavy wear or clicking, a rigid splint adjusted over several visits so the jaw muscles can relax (from £620).

Fixing the Bite

A filling or crown that sits high, or missing back teeth, can overload the joint. Adjusting or replacing them often settles it.

Advice That Works

Posture, stress, caffeine, nail biting and chewing gum all feed clenching. We go through what applies to you.

Referral When Needed

Locking that won't release, or pain that doesn't respond, is referred to a specialist jaw clinic through your GP or directly.

Go to A&E or Call 999 If

Your jaw is stuck open and won't close

Jaw pain after a blow to the face, with teeth that no longer meet as they did

Jaw pain with chest pain, breathlessness or pain spreading down the arm, which can be a heart problem

Book an Appointment If

Your jaw aches or clicks most days, or locks briefly

You wake with a stiff jaw, tight cheek muscles or headaches at the temples

Your teeth look shorter, flatter or chipped, or fillings keep breaking

Earache or pain in front of the ear with no ear infection

Pain that started after a new filling or crown

Fees

The emergency appointment is one fee; the permanent fix is quoted in writing before it's done. Prices checked October 2026.²

Routine examination	£70
Large X-ray	£75
Night guard	£210
Hard occlusal splint	from £620
Emergency appointment	£70

See every fee

Questions

Causes, splints and when it's something else.

What causes jaw pain?–

Most often the muscles that close the jaw, overworked by clenching and grinding, usually at night and usually with stress. Less often the joint itself: the disc inside it slipping, which causes the click, or wear in the joint. A bite that's been changed by a high filling or missing teeth can trigger either.

Is a clicking jaw serious?+

Will a night guard stop jaw pain?+

Can a dentist diagnose TMJ problems?+

Does stress cause jaw pain?+

Guides

Grinding and Jaw Pain

All general dentistry guides

General dentistry · 6 minute read

Crown, Onlay or Filling?

Jaw Aching or Clicking? Get It Checked

An examination tells you what's driving it and what would help, before anything is made.

Call 0141 248 1183Book a same-day appointment

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