Why Does My Child’s Jaw Click When They Chew?

As a parent, you are attuned to every new sound and habit your child develops. So, when you hear a distinct ‘click’ or ‘pop’ every time they chew, it’s natural to feel a sense of unease. You may have heard that it could be related to TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder), and you’re right to be concerned. However, most advice focuses on managing symptoms like stress or teeth grinding. This approach misses the fundamental point.

From my perspective as an interceptive orthodontist in Montreal, that sound is something more profound. It’s an audible sign from your child’s developing facial structure. It’s a notification that the intricate system of bones, muscles, and functions—their “functional matrix”—is out of sync. While issues like gem stones on teeth are purely aesthetic, this clicking points to the very foundation of their oral health. Ignoring it or simply waiting for it to go away means missing a critical, and brief, developmental window to guide growth and prevent a cascade of future problems.

But what if the key wasn’t to silence the click, but to understand the message it’s sending about your child’s skeletal growth? This article will decode that signal. We will explore the underlying causes related to breathing, diet, and specific bite issues, and explain why a proactive assessment around age 7 is not just a recommendation, but a strategic necessity for their long-term health.

This guide breaks down the critical factors that contribute to jaw dysfunction in developing children. By understanding these interconnected elements, you can take informed, proactive steps to support your child’s healthy growth.

Mouth Breathing and Bed Wetting: The Surprising Link to Narrow Jaws

The first place we look is not the mouth, but the nose. Proper nasal breathing is the engine of healthy facial development. When a child habitually breathes through their mouth—often due to allergies, enlarged tonsils, or other obstructions—it sets off a chain reaction. The tongue, which should rest on the palate to naturally shape a wide, U-shaped arch, drops down to open the airway. Without this constant, gentle pressure from the tongue, the upper jaw (maxilla) often develops to be high and narrow. This compromised “structural blueprint” is a primary cause of future crowding and bite problems.

This narrow airway not only affects jaw growth but can also lead to disrupted sleep. The body struggles for oxygen, leading to issues like sleep bruxism (grinding). In fact, one recent meta-analysis reveals that sleep bruxism affects between 21% to 43% of children, often linked to airway issues. In some cases, the deep sleep cycle is so disturbed it can even be associated with secondary issues like bedwetting. The clicking jaw is often a symptom of this larger functional problem, where the joint is strained by the underdeveloped and misaligned jaw structure that began with a simple, overlooked habit: mouth breathing.

Phase 1 Orthodontics: Why Start at Age 7 Instead of Waiting for Teens?

This brings us to a crucial question of timing. For generations, orthodontics was seen as a teenage rite of passage involving years of braces. This approach, however, is reactive; it aims to straighten crooked teeth after the facial bones have largely finished growing. Interceptive, or Phase 1, orthodontics operates on a completely different philosophy: guiding growth while it’s happening. This is why we, along with other orthodontic professionals, advocate for an initial assessment at a key developmental milestone.

The Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends that children are screened by an orthodontist by the age of 7.

– Canadian Association of Orthodontists, Official CAO Guidelines

Why age 7? At this age, the first permanent molars and incisors have typically come in, allowing an orthodontist to spot developing discrepancies between the jaws, such as a crossbite or crowding. More importantly, your child’s skeletal structure is still malleable. We aren’t just moving teeth; we are influencing the way the facial bones grow. This “growth guidance” allows us to address the root cause of the problem—like a narrow upper jaw—often with simple appliances like a palatal expander. This proactive approach has several key benefits:

• It catches developmental issues early to address the root cause and guide proper jaw development.
• It can prevent more severe problems from developing, often eliminating the need for tooth extractions or jaw surgery later in life.
• It harnesses the natural growth process, making treatment shorter, simpler, and more stable.
• It improves airway function and creates a healthier foundation for both oral and overall health.

Why Modern Soft Diets Are Causing Underdeveloped Jaws in Kids?

Beyond breathing, there’s another modern lifestyle factor contributing to weak jaw development: our food. For millennia, human jaws were shaped by the mechanical stress of chewing tough, fibrous foods. This consistent “workout” stimulated bone growth, creating broad, strong jaws with ample room for all 32 teeth. Today’s diet, however, is dominated by soft, processed foods—yogurts, smoothies, soft breads, and pasta—that require minimal chewing effort. While convenient, this lack of mechanical stimulation means our children’s jaws are often not reaching their full genetic potential. They are becoming underdeveloped.

This isn’t about eliminating soft foods entirely, but about consciously reintroducing “jaw-strengthening” foods into your child’s diet. It’s a simple, effective form of at-home therapy that supports the work we do in the clinic. Think of it as taking your child’s jaw to the gym. For parents in Montreal, our vibrant local markets offer a perfect opportunity to find these foods. Instead of reaching for a processed snack, consider options that make the jaw work harder.

By making these small dietary shifts, you provide the necessary input to help your child’s jaw develop a robust and healthy “structural blueprint,” making them less susceptible to crowding and bite issues.

Why You Must Fix a Crossbite Before the Facial Bones Fuse?

A crossbite is a specific type of malocclusion where the upper teeth fit inside the lower teeth. It may seem like a minor alignment issue, but it is a significant red flag for an orthodontist. When a child with a crossbite closes their mouth, their lower jaw has to shift to one side to find a comfortable resting position. This constant, asymmetric movement is a primary cause of the jaw clicking and popping that worries parents. The jaw joint is being forced into an unnatural position with every bite, leading to strain, inflammation, and wear on the joint’s cartilage disc.

Correcting a crossbite is a time-sensitive issue. The root cause is almost always a narrow upper jaw, which can be easily and gently widened with a palatal expander during a child’s growth phase. This treatment is most effective before the two halves of the upper palate fuse together. According to established research, this critical developmental event happens in early adolescence. As noted in orthodontic literature, the palatal suture typically fuses between 12-15 years of age. After this point, correcting the crossbite becomes significantly more complex, often requiring surgery.

Ignoring a crossbite is like continuing to drive a car with a severe alignment problem; eventually, critical parts will wear out. The clicking is the sound of that wear and tear beginning.

Do You Really Need a Spacer If a Baby Tooth Falls Out Early?

Sometimes, a baby tooth is lost prematurely due to decay or injury. It can be tempting to think, “It’s just a baby tooth; a permanent one will grow in.” This is a dangerous misconception. Each baby tooth acts as a natural space maintainer, holding the spot for the permanent tooth that will eventually replace it. When that placeholder is lost too soon, the teeth behind it have a powerful tendency to drift forward into the empty space. This sets off a domino effect, causing a loss of arch length and contributing to crowding and bite collapse—the very issues that strain the jaw joint and can cause TMD, which can affect a significant number of children.

A space maintainer is a small, simple, and relatively inexpensive orthodontic appliance that does exactly what its name implies: it holds the space open. It prevents this forward drift and preserves the integrity of your child’s arch, allowing the permanent tooth to erupt in its correct position. The decision to use a spacer is not an “upsell”; it is a crucial preventative measure. The cost and complexity of not using one can be exponentially higher down the road, as this comparative analysis shows.

Investing in a space maintainer is a clear example of proactive care. It’s a small step that prevents a cascade of much larger, more invasive, and more expensive problems later on.

Why Ignoring a Misaligned Bite Can Cause Migraines in Your 40s?

The consequences of an untreated malocclusion don’t disappear when a child grows up. The strains placed on the jaw joint and facial muscles during childhood can quietly compound for decades. A misaligned bite forces the muscles of the jaw, head, and neck to work constantly to find a stable position. This chronic muscular tension can lead to a host of problems in adulthood, including persistent headaches, neck pain, and even debilitating migraines. Many adults who suffer from these conditions never make the connection back to the subtle bite problems that started in their youth.

This long-term connection is often rooted in habits developed in childhood to compensate for a poor bite, such as clenching or grinding (bruxism). These habits become deeply ingrained, continuing to put immense pressure on the entire system. As one study highlights, the effects are not just physical.

Sleep bruxism is common in children and is associated with somatic symptoms including muscle aches, stomach aches, and increased awake time after sleep onset.

– Alfano CA, Bower JL, Meers JM, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2018

The jaw clicking you hear in your 7-year-old is the first chapter of a story that could end with chronic pain in their 40s. The view from Mount Royal may be beautiful, but it’s hard to enjoy with a persistent headache. By addressing the structural foundation of the bite during the critical growth window, we aren’t just straightening teeth for a better smile; we are setting the stage for a future free from this type of chronic, compensatory pain.

How to Stop Tongue Thrusting from Ruining Your Child’s Bite?

There is one more powerful, and often hidden, force at play in your child’s oral development: the tongue. The tongue is an incredibly strong muscle. When it functions correctly, it rests against the palate, providing the internal support for a wide upper arch. However, in some children, the tongue develops a dysfunctional swallowing pattern known as a tongue thrust. Instead of pressing up against the palate during a swallow, the tongue pushes forward against the front teeth. A person swallows thousands of times a day, and with each swallow, a tongue thrust exerts a light but constant pressure on the teeth.

This relentless forward pressure can have devastating effects on the bite. It can push the upper front teeth forward, creating a significant overjet (protrusion). It can also prevent the front teeth from closing together properly, resulting in an open bite. An open bite makes it difficult to bite into food and can also lead to speech impediments, such as a lisp. The jaw clicking you hear can be a secondary effect, as the jaw shifts and strains to compensate for a bite that simply doesn’t fit together.

Correcting a tongue thrust is not something traditional braces can fix. Braces can move the teeth back, but if the underlying muscle habit persists, the teeth will simply be pushed forward again once the braces are removed. This is a primary cause of orthodontic relapse. The solution is myofunctional therapy—a series of exercises designed to retrain the muscles of the mouth and face. A therapist can teach your child a new, correct swallowing pattern, ensuring their tongue works to support their bite, not destroy it. Identifying and correcting a tongue thrust early is essential for any long-term orthodontic stability.

Phase 1 Orthodontics: Why Start at Age 7 Instead of Waiting for Teens?

We’ve explored a range of issues—from mouth breathing and soft diets to crossbites and tongue thrusting. Each may seem like a separate problem, but they all point to the same fundamental truth: the clicking in your child’s jaw is a symptom of a disruption in their natural growth trajectory. All these roads lead back to one, unified, proactive solution: early assessment and, when necessary, Phase 1 interceptive orthodontics. Waiting until the teenage years is like waiting for a house’s foundation to crack before calling an engineer. By then, the options are limited, more invasive, and far more costly.

Starting at age 7 allows us to be architects of growth, not just movers of teeth. We can intervene at the source by widening a narrow jaw, making space for erupting teeth, correcting harmful habits, and guiding the “structural blueprint” toward its optimal, healthy design. This proactive growth guidance is the most powerful and effective tool we have. It transforms orthodontics from a reactive fix into a preventative strategy, ensuring the beautiful smile your child grows into is supported by a healthy, functional, and stable foundation.

The clicking sound is your cue to act. It’s the starting bell for a conversation about your child’s long-term health. The next logical step is to have your child’s unique growth pattern assessed by a professional who specializes in this proactive approach. Schedule a growth and development consultation today to ensure their facial structure is on the right track for a healthy future.