A Pain Guide For Your Jaw
Posted on 10/10/2022 by Evan |
 Researchers think as many as 20 million people suffer from occasional jaw pain, while about 10 million people have chronic jaw pain. Jaw pain can be debilitating because when your jaw is hurting, it can make your whole head hurt. While no jaw pain is good, there are some types of jaw pain that are worse than others. Here is a guide to jaw pain, and some possible causes.
What Could My Jaw Pain Be?
Jaw pain can have several causes, depending on the location of your pain, how severe it is, and how long you have had it.
If you have pain in only one part of your jaw, you may be suffering from a cavity. While cavities can start out small, if they are filled and treated, they can grow. Eventually, cavities can get to the center of the tooth, called the pulp. The pulp is filled with nerves and blood vessels, and when a cavity gets to the center of the tooth, it can get infected, which can cause a lot of jaw pain. However, if the infection spreads, you may develop an abscessed tooth. If you have an abscessed tooth, you may find a hard lump on your jaw, and you may have a fever. You will need to see a dentist right away, because a tooth infection can continue to spread until its treated.
If you have pain around your jaw joint, and if it is accompanied by pain in your ears, you may have an inflammation of your jaw joint. The jaw joint, or temporomandibular joint, can become inflamed just like any other joint. If your TMJ is inflamed, you may have trouble eating, talking, or opening and closing your mouth.
If you have pain along the gumline, you may have bruxism. That means you clench or grind your jaw at night. Bruxism can lead to excessive tooth wear, and it can cause teeth to crack and chip. It can also cause jaw pain and even inflammation of the TMJ.
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