11.08.2026
Jaw joint and tooth position: a connection with limits
Complaints in the jaw joint – clicking, pain on opening, tense chewing muscles – are common. The obvious conclusion that the position of the teeth is the cause is common too. It is only partly supported by evidence.
Research over recent decades shows a nuanced picture: individual findings such as a pronounced crossbite with forced guidance are associated with joint complaints. For most other malocclusions, no such association can be shown. The reverse also applies: orthodontic treatment does not usually cause complaints, but it does not reliably cure them either.
In practice this means: acute complaints are treated first – with information, a splint, physiotherapy – and only then is a decision made about the position of the teeth. Anyone who starts wearing a brace against pain will not know the cause afterwards.
Be sceptical of anyone who explains jaw joint complaints with a single method. There are usually several factors, and stress is regularly one of them.