What is the Reason for Jaw Pain?
If you’re experiencing pain in your jaw, you’re aware of how much it can interfere with simple tasks like speaking and eating. Jaw pain can radiate to other areas of the face and head and lead to headaches and earaches, and it can even affect the neck and the ability to comfortably move or turn the head. Even when it’s localized to the jaw, pain can make it agonizingly difficult to open your mouth at all. Jaw pain can be caused by several different things, some of which have little to do with the jaw itself. See your dentist if you have jaw pain that continues for more than a day or two, and if the pain in your jaw is severe and debilitating or if you have a fever, see a dentist as soon as you can. While many cases of jaw pain can be treated relatively easily, pain in the jaw can be a sign of more serious problems and should be addressed promptly.
One of the more common causes of jaw pain is TMJ, which stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. The temporomandibular joint is the joint that’s located on either side of a person’s head, just in front of their ears, and that is used to open and close the mouth. TMJ can be caused by trauma or injury to the lower face, chronic clenching or grinding of the teeth, arthritis, and genetics. In addition to leading to pain in the jaw, TMJ might cause the jaw to make clicking or popping noises when you open and close your mouth. Other causes of pain in the jaw include improper alignment of the bite; excessively forceful chewing; infection in the teeth, the oral cavity, or the sinuses; stress and anxiety; impacted wisdom teeth; tumors or cysts; and even heart attack, which is characterized by pain on only one side of the face.
As you can see, these potential causes of jaw pain range from the relatively mundane to the dangerous, which is one of the reasons prompt attention is so important. If your jaw pain is new and reasonably mild, you may want to try to manage pain or discomfort by taking over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. People who experience chronic jaw pain because of stress often report that the pain is lessened through relaxation practices, like yoga, or through habit-modification that reduces certain stress factors. Some people also find that consuming caffeine causes tension that can cause jaw pain, and for these people, reducing caffeine intake fixes the issue. Localized jaw pain can often appear following dental procedures, like tooth extractions, and jaw pain can also be caused by overall issues with the oral health, like tooth decay or infection.
If your jaw hurts because of an injury or trauma, applying ice or damp heat to the outside of the face at the area that hurts. If the injury has clearly damaged your tooth, your jaw, or any other part of your body, see a medical practitioner right away. Additionally, if your jaw hurts constantly or if the pain is difficult to bear, schedule an appointment with your dentist right away; an early professional diagnosis can have a significantly positive influence on treatment outcomes. Your dentist will ask you questions about your jaw pain and any other symptoms you might have, including asking about the specific location and severity of the pain and investigating what might be causing it. If you’ve been injured, the cause will likely be clear, but if your jaw pain arose with no discernible cause, make a note of when it started, and note whether you’re experiencing any other symptoms; having ready answers to these questions is a huge help toward making a diagnosis. Your dentist will also ask you about certain habits, like whether you habitually clench or grind your teeth. After this medical review, the dentist will examine the teeth and will probably take an x-ray as well, finally discussing treatment options and planning these accordingly.