Jaw Pain
When to see an emergency dentist
If you have:
- Pain in and around your jaw joint, ear or temple.
- Clicking, popping or grinding noises from your jaw joints.
- Limited mouth opening.
- Problems with your jaw locking.
What to do if you have jaw pain
- Take over the counter painkillers (Ibuprofen/Paracetamol). Make sure you aren't allergic and that they don't interact with any other medication you are taking. Stick to the recommended dosages and do not give Aspirin to children under the age of 16
- Apply heat or cooling packs to the area giving you discomfort. This may help to reduce any inflammation around the jaw joint.
- Keep to a soft diet and avoid hard foods.
- Avoid oral habits that put stress on your jaw joint and jaw muscles. For example, avoid chewing gum, grinding and clenching your teeth, biting your nails and chewing pen lids.
- Massage your jaw muscles and complete jaw exercises.
- Relax, reduce your caffeine intake and sleep well.
Finally, book an appointment with an emergency dentist near you.
Causes
The TMJ or Temporo-Mandibular Joint can be painful for multiple reasons. It may be painful as a result of trauma, inflammatory disease, problems with the patient's bite, tooth clenching/grinding and growth disorders amongst other things. In dentistry we are mostly concerned about TMJDS related to problems with the patient's bite and their grinding/clenching habits.
Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome – Your jaw joint should sit in a relaxed position when you are at rest. When you bite your teeth together into a position that feels most comfortable, sometimes this does not correlate with the most comfortable position for your jaw joint. This creates stress on the muscles around the jaw joint which leads to many of the symptoms described above.
Treatment
TMJDS – The dentist will provide an examination of your jaw joints and your teeth before they can diagnose TMJDS. There are various treatment options
- Advice – soft diet and anti-inflammatory medication
- Jaw exercises
- Construction of an occlusal splint or bite raising appliance. This helps to relax the tissues around the jaw joint
- Cerezen appliance – A removable device you place in your ear canals to help position your jaw in a more relaxed position
- Referral to hospital for more advanced treatment
Prevention
- Avoid oral habits that put stress on your jaw joint and jaw muscles. For example, avoid chewing gum, grinding and clenching your teeth, biting your nails and chewing pen lids.
- Massage your jaw muscles and complete jaw exercises.
- Relax, reduce your caffeine intake and sleep well.
- Keep to a soft diet and avoid hard foods.
- Continue to wear any appliance constructed or recommended by your dentist.
