We're Jaw Experts. Here Are 7 Things We Never, Ever Do.

When it comes to well-being, your jaw health likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, experts say many day-to-day issues — everything from headaches to ear pain — can be a sign of jaw problems.

“First and foremost, jaw joints are the most-used joint in the body,” said Dr. Priya Mistry, a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dentist in Washington state, who added that we even use our jaw when we sleep. “The simple act of swallowing makes our jaw move,” Mistry said.

Certain habits can cause wear and tear on your jaw, resulting in some of the issues mentioned above, in addition to common TMJ dysfunctions, which mess with your jaw joints and muscles.

Below, experts share the habits they avoid to keep their jaws healthy.

1. They don’t lean their hand against their jaw.

Many, many people mindlessly lean their hand against their jaw — you’ve probably done it while sitting at your desk at work or while listening to a friend talk over dinner.

This is a bad habit for jaw health because it puts too much sideways pressure on the jaw, which is built for up-and-down and forward-and-back movement, said Mistry. Leaning your hand on your jaw too often can lead to jaw clicking, pain or popping, she noted.

2. They don’t clench their teeth.

“Our teeth should really only come together when we swallow… when we’re speaking, our teeth shouldn’t touch, when we’re chewing, we have food between the teeth, and then we swallow [and] our teeth should separate,” said Dr. Karyn Kahn, a dentist who focuses on jaw disorders at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

“But some people find that they’re walking around every day with their teeth in contact, and that uses a lot of muscle and it puts excessive force on the teeth and also on the jaw,” Kahn