docJaw pain can be due to a number of problems. And most often it is due to a tooth with some disease. However, an infected tooth is not the only reason why the jaw hurts. There are instances where jaw pain may be due to other medical conditions. In this article, we will review the potential sources of jaw pain. We will also discuss the appropriate steps and measures to take for each scenario.
Jaw Pain – The Usual Suspects
As is often the case, a tooth can be the source of jaw pain. In the absence of trauma, in roughly 80% of the cases, the jaw hurts because of a diseased tooth. Cracked teeth can cause pain every time the tooth presses against something. A tooth with a large cavity that has infected the pulp (e.g. the nerve) can cause serious discomfort. Even a tooth with a mid-size cavity can cause moderate to severe pain. Wisdom teeth that are impacted are yet another source. Gum disease is another culprit when it comes to jaw pain. Usually, the patient points to an exact tooth when the tooth is the problem.
In these cases, the best (and only) treatment option is to get to a dentist, fast! The more painful, the sooner you should see the dentist. Most over-the-counter remedies offer short-term relief at best. The best way to combat the pain is to put an ice pack on the affected area. Ice slows down the transmission of pain signals to our brain. This will buy you some time ’til you get to the dentist. Another reason the jaw can hurt is TMJ.
TMJ Can Cause Jaw Pain
You may have heard someone say they suffer from or have TMJ. And what they are talking about usually is a problem related to the jaw joints or the muscles around the head and neck area. In these cases, no tooth is causing the pain. The problem is due to an imbalance of the jaw joints or the muscles. In these cases, when you ask the patient to point to their pain, they point to an area over the face, or their jaw joint. Or they say they cannot pinpoint it as it changes location. These groups of patients typically have problems opening and closing their jaws. Their pain may not be there all the time. They may also have a tough time chewing and eating certain types of food, especially foods that require more chewing.
These patients are best treated by a dentist with specialized training in TMJ. Our dentist in San Marcos, California has advanced training and years of experience treating TMJ patients. What you can do for pain management is cold packs over the area, a soft diet and avoiding clamping down on the teeth.
Trigeminal Neuralgia – Sharp, Shooting, and Zapping Pain
Sometimes, the source of the pain is the nerve or the impingement of the nerve itself. Nerves in our body are considered “highways of information.” When we touch something (e.g. a stimulus), what we sense has to be processed by our central nervous system before we can perceive what it is. This information travels along nerves within our body. But what if the nerve starts transmitting information not because of a stimulus, but because the nerve itself is diseased. Or, maybe the nerve is being impinged on by blood vessels around it. This is the best explanation behind Trigeminal Neuralgia. This disease always affects the same part of the face. It may last from several hours to several days. And then it can be gone for weeks to months. The pain from trigeminal neuralgia is excruciating. Unfortunately, there have been instances when patients have taken their own lives because of the severity of the pain. This condition is quite challenging to manage. There are some treatments that may be effective (e.g. laser knife). However, the success rate and the price tag make these treatments hard to justify.
Jaw Pain Due to Medical Complications
There are medical conditions that can cause jaw pain as a symptom. For example, a myocardial infarct (e.g. heart attack) can cause jaw pain on the left side of the face. These patients typically have other signs and symptoms indicating they may have cardiovascular issues, like difficulty breathing or heaviness in their chest. These patients require immediate attention, even though they may be refusing it outright. Emergency medical services should be activated and if not allergic, a small dose of aspirin should be taken by patient.
Certain vaccines can cause jaw pain, like tetanus and mumps vaccines. Other medications can also cause jaw pain if they cause the patient to grit their teeth. In these instances, the patient should contact their medical doctor immediately for follow-up care and perhaps a change in the prescriptions.
Auto-immune disorders (e.g. multiple sclerosis), fibromyalgia, and arthritis can be yet other causes of jaw pain. In rare instances, tumors or cysts occur within the jaw, causing the jaw to hurt. Management for these cases often involves multiple fields of specialty and a team approach.