Aside from a toothache or a migraine, there might be no more annoying, nagging pain than jaw pain. It makes everything hurt: you can’t eat, you can’t chew, you can’t talk–you can’t even sleep. So when you’re afflicted with jaw pain, how can you get rid of it? What options are available for you?
What Kind Of Doctor Do I See For Jaw Pain?
The dentist should be your first line of defense when it comes to jaw pain. Odds are good that a lot of the cause of your jaw pain is due to teeth clenching and grinding, and there are things that a dentist can do for you to help mitigate this.
A mouthguard is the first and most common tool in your dentist’s jaw pain arsenal. This unobtrusive appliance is something that you wear at night that keeps your teeth from touching, so they won’t be able to grind and dig into each other. You can purchase a generic, one-size-fits-all mouthguard from the pharmacy, but the dentist can make one that is customized for your mouth–not just the arrangement of your teeth, but the behavior of the grinding.
Your dentist may also prescribe muscle relaxers to help relieve jaw pain. They don’t always work, but they’re an easy fix that’s worth a shot.
Your dentist may refer you to a specialist who works with botox. No, it’s not to take the wrinkles out of your gums–the botulinum toxin in Botox may prevent jaw pain altogether by keeping your jaw muscles from clenching. A single injection can last for months, but you will require more later.
Finally, in rare cases, you may need jaw surgery to relieve your jaw pain. Your dentist will be able to guide you through this process and point you to recommended doctors. This is usually only for people whose jaw pain is severe and whose problems are structural.
Can Jaw Pain Go Away On Its Own?
Typically, if you follow the recommendations of your dentist in wearing mouth guards and work on stress coping skills (to decrease your tooth grinding and clenching) jaw pain will go away on its own. This is why it’s important to get a second opinion whenever a doctor suggests something dramatic like surgery, which can be unalterable.
Jaw Pain on One Side
One-sided jaw pain can be a different animal altogether. Although there’s no cause for alarm yet, sometimes jaw pain on one side can be a sign of serious problems–in rare cases, it can be a sign of a heart attack. More likely, however, it’s a sign of cavities or an abscessed tooth.
What Causes Jaw Pain
The most common causes of jaw pain are:
- TMJ disorders: The symptoms of TMJ disorders can be tenderness and pain around the jaw, as well as earache, pain or popping when opening your mouth, and difficulty opening or closing your jaw.
- Sinusitis: Nasal inflammation can lead to jaw pain on one side or on both. . This is common in association with a cold, but can also be brought on by allergies or other medical conditions.
- Dental problems: again, cavities are a likely culprit of jaw pain, as are abscesses, wisdom teeth, gum disease, or tooth grinding.
Rare causes of jaw pain include:
- Trigeminal neuralgia: a chronic condition that puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve causing, among other things, jaw pain. This is rare in anyone but most common in women over 50.
- Osteomyelitis: a rare but serious bone infection. This typically happens after some dental surgery that has gotten infected.
- Tumors and cysts: Though often not cancerous, they can still apply pressure and cause dental and jaw pain.
If you are experiencing jaw pain, your best course of action is to see a dentist. The best way to get rid of jaw pain in North Carolina is a visit to TMJ & Sleep Therapy Center of Raleigh-Durham.
