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

Q: Is a clicking jaw serious?

A click without pain is common and usually just needs monitoring. If the click is painful, or your jaw catches or locks, it's worth having it assessed, since a splint and some changes to habits usually prevent it from worsening.

Q: Will a night guard stop jaw pain?

When the pain comes from clenching and grinding at night, it usually eases within a few weeks as the muscles rest. Where the joint is the cause, a hard occlusal splint, adjusted over a number of visits, is more effective than a soft guard.

Q: Can a dentist diagnose TMJ problems?

Yes. We diagnose temporomandibular disorder by taking your history and examining your jaw joint, muscles and bite, plus an X-ray where necessary. If anything points to a problem needing further investigation, a joint that keeps locking for example, we'll refer you.

Q: Does stress cause jaw pain?

Very commonly. Stress makes people clench more, particularly in their sleep, and the jaw muscles bear the brunt. Two things together help most: noticing when you clench by day, and a night guard for clenching in sleep.

Aches in the jaw joint and nearby muscles are common. Clenching and grinding are the usual cause, and most cases settle with good advice and a well-made splint. At Comely Bank Dental we assess your bite, the joint and the muscles, and rule out other causes.Clenching and grinding are the usual cause, and good advice plus a well-made splint settles most cases. We assess your bite, the joint and the muscles.

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Emergency appointments are £75 if you're registered, £99 if not, and free for dental plan members. When we're closed, NHS 24 is available on 111.²

What to Do Now

Things that help before your appointment.

Rest the Joint

Eat soft food in small pieces for a few days. Skip chewing gum, wide yawns, and biting into apples or baguettes.

Heat and Gentle Stretching

A few times a day, hold a warm flannel to the side of your face for ten minutes, then gently open and close.

Notice the Clench

Your teeth should meet only when you chew or swallow. Whenever you think of it, rest your lips together, teeth apart, tongue just behind the upper front teeth.

Painkillers, If You Need Them

For a few days, take ordinary painkillers or anti-inflammatories as the packet directs.

What We Can Do

Most jaw pain comes from the muscles and improves with simple steps. Our job is to find the cause.

A Proper Assessment

We check the joint, chewing muscles, how wide you open, your bite and any wear, plus an X-ray if the joint needs a closer look.

Night Guard

For grinding or clenching in your sleep, a night guard made for your mouth (£220) eases the strain on teeth and muscles.

Hard Occlusal Splint

When pain persists, or there's heavy wear or clicking, a rigid splint is fine-tuned over several visits to let the jaw muscles relax (from £640).

Fixing the Bite

A filling or crown that's too high, or missing back teeth, can strain the joint; adjusting or replacing them is often enough.

Advice That Works

Stress, posture, caffeine, chewing gum and nail biting all fuel clenching. We discuss the ones that apply to you.

Referral When Needed

If locking won't release or pain doesn't respond, we refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic, either directly or through your GP.

Go to A&E or Call 999 If

The jaw has locked open and won't close

Your jaw hurts after a blow to the face and your teeth no longer meet as before

Jaw pain comes with chest pain, breathlessness or pain running down your arm; this can signal a heart problem

Book an Appointment If

Most days your jaw aches or clicks, or it briefly locks

You wake up with jaw stiffness, tight cheek muscles or a headache at your temples

Your teeth seem shorter, flatter or chipped, or fillings break repeatedly

Earache or pain just in front of the ear, without an ear infection

The pain began after a new filling or crown

Fees

An emergency appointment is a single fee, and any lasting treatment is quoted in writing before we start. Prices checked October 2026.²

Dental examination	£70
X-ray (large)	£70
Night guard	£220
Occlusal splint (hard)	from £640
Emergency visit, registered patient	£75
Emergency visit, not registered with us	£99

See every fee

Questions

Splints, causes, and when it's not the jaw.

What causes jaw pain?–

Usually it's the jaw-closing muscles, worn out by clenching and grinding, which tends to happen at night and alongside stress. Less commonly the problem is in the joint: either the disc inside slips, producing a click, or the joint itself wears. Either can be set off by a bite altered by a high filling or missing teeth.

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 · 8 minute read

Crown, Onlay or Filling?

Jaw Aching or Clicking? Get It Checked

A dental examination shows the cause and what would ease it, before we make anything.

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