There aren’t many things in the world where your physical discomfort shows on your face almost 24/7 quite the way jaw pain does. Maybe it needs some realignments. Check this link, www.dental266.com.au/orthopaedics-jaw-realignment/ to know the treatment for your jaw concerns.  There are many factors which cause one to ask themselves, “why does my jaw hurt?” While it usually stems from some abnormality or joint injury, there are several other factors. Let’s find out.

teeth grinding

Teeth grinding

Teeth grinding is one of the leading causes of jaw pain. It is not similar to chewing but is more of a clenching action in particular. Fully unaware of it, people grind their teeth during times of distress or during sleep. It all leads to jaw pain therefore it will be wise to take on some stress relief exercises or wear a mouth guard during sleep.

 

Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorder (TMD)

A long name for a pain that often times lasts for a long time. TMD, or sometimes called TMJ, are the hinges on each side of the jaw and this pain comes:

  • Muscles in charge of jaw movement
  • Jaw injury
  • Excess movement
  • Displaced disc
  • Arthritis in protective disc

 

Headaches

Not just any headache, here one leading cause of jaw pain is cluster headache. They cause pain around the eyes and can also spread to the jaw.

 

Tooth ache

Those experiencing jaw pains should take into account that dental abscesses, much like cluster headaches, can spread to the jaw and cause pain.

 

Heart attack

This is a little unknown fact but for those unfamiliar, it is quite freaky to find out heart ache pain is found in other
areas besides the chest such as the arms, back, jaw and neck.

 

Improper bite

Did you ever check out if your teeth line up when you bite on to something? Ideally, they should. Overbite or underbite, they all cause strain on the jaw and requires braces to be fixed. In some cases, the jaw pain does not go away and might require surgery to fix the bite.

 

Untreated cavity

Plaque is something we think we are getting rid of sufficiently when we brush our teeth. Turns out we are not as perfect as we thought. Plaque buildup can break down the enamel and cause a cavity to form. If left untreated and it reaches into the pulp of the teeth, it can give rise to jaw pain.

sinus

 

Sinus

A quick recap: sinuses are air filled cavities located around the nasal cavity. When viruses or bacterium infects it, the excess mucus puts pressure on the joint and causes the jaw to hurt.

 

If you are reading this holding your face, squirming and wondering “why does my jaw hurt?” contact your dentist as soon as possible. Dentists are usually quick to see where the problem is. You think the above are the full list of causes behind jaw pain? Think again.

There are so many more. Best you see the doctor and get on a recovery plan as early as you can. And yes, the recovery is usually quick, so that would be good news.