Do TMJ Clicks and Pops Matter? Joints, Class II Bites & Airway in Growing Patients | Dr. Jim McKee

Most patients click or pop at some point, so which TMJ clicks actually matter? Dr. Jim McKee, resident faculty at Spear Education, explains the difference between the 60-year-old who's clicked for 30 years with no problems and the 12-year-old whose click is quietly changing how the jaw grows. He covers why "kids shouldn't click," the simple bite check that screens for disc problems, when to image, why MRI tells you what CBCT can't, and how joints connect to Class II bites and airway. In this episode: - Why joints click: it starts with a ligament injury - Occlusion as force distribution between the teeth and the joints - How losing the disc turns a Class I patient into a Class II - Lateral pole vs. medial pole: which clicks to worry about - "Kids shouldn't click": why growing patients need a closer look - The joint-airway connection - A clicking 12-year-old: what a GP should do before referring to ortho - Image or don't image, and why MRI beats CBCT for the disc - How to take a CBCT in a fully seated position - Why many Class II patients never reached their vertical dimension 📰 Plus dental news from early 2023: nearly 20% of dental professionals have considered suicide, a dentist trying to pull a car with his teeth, a Texas COVID whistleblower settlement, the Tooth Fairy rate hits $6.23, and the ADA's new AI white paper and benefit verification standards. Dr. Jim McKee practices in Downers Grove, Illinois, is resident faculty at Spear Education, and runs a Chicago study club on restorative dentistry and joints with Dr. Kurt Ringhofer, Dr. Seth Atkins and Dr. Drew McDonald. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: back from Chicago Midwinter 3:31 Midwinter highlights and the Cuspy award 10:31 News: nearly 20% have considered suicide 12:41 News: pulling a car with his teeth 14:10 News: Texas COVID whistleblower settlement 14:59 News: the Tooth Fairy rate hits $6.23 16:14 News: ADA AI white paper and benefit standards 17:57 Meet Dr. Jim McKee 20:17 Do pops and clicks matter? 23:30 Why joints click 24:51 Occlusion is force distribution 25:54 Losing the disc changes vertical dimension 27:02 Lateral pole vs. medial pole 28:14 "Kids shouldn't click" 29:54 The joint-airway connection 32:57 A clicking child: what should a GP do? 34:08 Diagnosing joints builds a fee-for-service practice 36:22 Image or don't image 37:28 MRI in growing patients 41:05 Why MRI, not just CBCT 43:24 Taking a CBCT in a fully seated position 45:54 Add a radiologist to your team 47:10 Working with orthodontists and oral surgeons 49:36 You can't do sleep without diagnosing joints 52:04 Class II corrections and joint condition 54:39 Class II patients never reached vertical dimension 55:31 The earliest-injured joint in the body 56:40 Closing: Jim's Chicago study club 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌐 Check out our brand new website: https://dentistsintheknow.com 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2