What is the Reason for Jaw Pain?
Jaw pain can escalate and progress quickly from an annoying ache to a continuous and disruptive pain.
If you are enduring through some pain in your jaw, you quite likely will find simple everyday tasks more difficult. Eating and talking can become unpleasant if you are suffering from jaw pain. Jaw pain can make it demanding to simply open your mouth and the pain can extend into your face and head, resulting in earaches and headaches.
Common Causes for Your Jaw Pain
Everything in and around your mouth is all interconnected, from each tooth to your two temporomandibular jaw joints. There are assorted reasons jaw pain can happen, and the origin might not even be in your jaw.
One frequent source of jaw pain is known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). This problem can be the result of some trauma such as a sports injury, prolonged teeth clenching and grinding, arthritis, or even your genetics.
Other common causes for jaw pain include:
* How you react to stress or anxiety.
* You have an infection spreading from an abscess.
* You have poor bite alignment, or a malocclusion.
* An impacted wisdom tooth.
* Your chewing habits are aggressive.
* The beginning of a sinus infection.
* A heart attack, especially if the pain is on one side of your face.
* A cyst or tumor.
Some Symptoms of Jaw Pain
Persistent, throbbing pain in your jaw is the primary symptom of jaw pain. Slight jaw pain, from just biting or chewing something hard, will decrease quickly and is not a concern. A constant throbbing pain that persists is a good reason to schedule an appointment to see your dentist soon.
The exact location of the jaw pain is relative to the source. Your jaw pain could be isolated to one side. This specific jaw pain can be common after a tooth extraction, from an infected tooth, or from an impacted wisdom tooth that needs to be extracted.
Jaw pain will easily spread to your ears, cause inflammation in your face, swelling, and more pain. Jaw pain will also spread down into your neck.
Look for any evidence of a popping or clicking in your jaw, around the jaw joint, which is where the jawbone connects to your skull. This is a symptom of TMJ disorder, which will be identified by your dentist.
Other common symptoms that accompany jaw pain are:
* You are finding it more difficult to talk, eat, or chew.
* You are having frequent earaches, headaches, and some facial swelling.
* Your jaw begins to lock open or closed.
* You have developed a fever, or your lymph nodes are swollen.
Treating Your Jaw Pain at Home
Sometimes jaw pain can subside with rest. If you are starting to experience some jaw pain and it is not severe, you can stymie the pain by taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory.
Persistent jaw pain that is caused by stress can be reduced with calming techniques such as mediation, mindfulness, or yoga, and addressing the major stressors in your life. Reducing your caffeine will also help to reduce tension.
Sudden jaw pain, from an injury or accident, can be reduced by applying an ice pack or moist heat to the area.
Treatment at home is only temporary. If the jaw pain persists, it will be in your best interests to make an appointment with your dentist for an examination and professional treatment.