Does clicking in adolescence lead to painful temporomandibular joint locking?

Background It has been assumed that clicking of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may predispose to closed locking. Although jaw clicking is a common complaint, locking of the TMJ is rare. Methods To assess whether clicking is a reliable predictor of locking, we examined longitudinally over 9 years the variation of reported and recorded TMJ clicking in 128 young Finnish adults. Subjects were interviewed and examined at the ages of 14, 15, 18, and 23 years. Findings Reported and recorded TMJ clicking both increased significantly with age, varying from 11% to 31% and from 11% to 34%, respectively. However, clicking showed no predictable pattern, and only a few subjects consistently reported clicking (2%) or had it recorded (2%). None developed locking. Interpretation Because none of the young adults developed locking of the TMJ, we suggest treatment for clicking should be conservative.