What Causes Jaw Pain?
One of the most common health problems is jaw pain. However, since jaw pain can occur due to many different reasons, the cause must be determined correctly in order for the treatment to be successful. A dentist should be consulted as soon as possible for jaw ache that is especially severe and does not go away on its own within a few days. The dentist will refer you to another doctor when necessary.
What is Jaw Pain?
Jaw pain is a type of pain that can make it difficult to speak and eat. The mandible, also known as the jawbone, is connected to the skull via the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Problems with the TMJ are among the most common causes of jaw pain.
It is attached to the jawbone, teeth and gums. Therefore, problems such as infection in the teeth and gums can also cause jaw aches.
What are The Symptoms?
Jaw pain symptoms are as follows:
- Joint or muscle immobility in the jaw
- Joint and muscle tenderness
- locking the jaw
- Cracking and different sounds in jaw joint movements
- Sudden attacks of pain
- Visual disturbance due to joint pain
- Dizziness
- High fever caused by pain
- Severe ear pain
- Regional swelling starting from the nape
- Humming and ringing
- Nerve pain type felt like burning pain
- Facial pain that increases with movement of the jaw
- Toothache and abscess formation
- Tension-type headache and pain behind the eyes
- Sensation of pain in the form of a knife stabbing in the chin and cheeks
- Increased sensitivity to pain
In addition to jaw pain, if such symptoms are seen, it is necessary to apply to a health institution without losing time.
Jaw Pain Treatment
How to treat pain in the jaw varies according to the cause of the pain. Therefore, the treatment applied to everyone is not the same. The treatments that can be applied are as follows:
- If the patient has problems such as teeth grinding and clenching during sleep, the use of night plaque and drug treatments such as muscle relaxants and tranquilizers can be recommended. With the application of masseter botox, also known as clenching botox, the problem of clenching and grinding is prevented. In this way, the ache in the jaw can be treated.
- If the pain problem has developed due to tooth and gum diseases, adequate attention should be paid to oral and dental care. In addition, dental treatments for the disease should be done as soon as possible.
- If it is determined that the pain is caused by an infectious disease, antibiotic or antiviral drug treatment can be applied.
- If there is any trauma or structural defect in the jawbone, a surgical operation should be planned to correct this situation.
- Topical ointments containing capsaicin can be used for jaw pain caused by nervous disorders, if deemed appropriate by the physician.
- If there is swelling and inflammation in the chin area, steroid-containing creams can be prescribed.
- In individuals with migraine and tension-type headaches, the use of pain relievers with appropriate content also helps to prevent the problem of jaw ache.
- When a pain problem is observed due to the jaw muscles, in addition to drug treatments to relax the muscles, suggestions such as relaxation therapies, massage and acupuncture, feeding with soft foods, cold or hot compresses can be made.
- In patients in whom no physiological problem that may be effective in the development of pain can be detected, the patients should be evaluated from this point of view, taking into account the psychological factors.
- In some patients with psychiatric disorders, antidepressant medication and cognitive therapy may be required.
Apart from all these treatment options, it is possible to benefit from different treatment applications specific to the patient. If there is jaw ache caused by oral and dental health, support from dentists should be sought in this case. When you go to your dentist with a complaint of jaw pain, if there is no problem with oral and dental health, your dentist may refer you to a different doctor.
