3 Reasons You Are Experiencing Jaw Pain
Are you currently experiencing pain in your jaw? It may come on randomly, or be a constant pain that you have been dealing with. This is a problem that you shouldn't ignore, since it may be related to your oral health. Here are some common reasons you are experiencing jaw pain.
Teeth Clenching And Grinding
One problem that you may not realize causes jaw pain is teeth grinding. Some people tend to clench down on their teeth when they're feeling stressed or have anxiety? This can happen during the day or at night while you are sleeping. It's a behavior that will lead to pain in your jaw afterward, which may not seem obvious at first. Not sure if you grind your teeth while you sleep? Consider asking your partner to look at your jaw while you are sleeping and if it looks like you clench your teeth.
Grinding is another habit that causes a variety of problems. You'll not only experience jaw pain, but you'll damage fillings in and cause the enamel to wear away on your teeth. A dentist can make a custom mouth guard for you, which will be comfortable to wear at night so that you do not wear down your teeth while you are asleep.
Tooth Abscess
Your jaw pain may be related to pain within a single tooth. If you can pinpoint the pain to a point in your jaw, you may have an abscess in the tooth above that point. An abscess can cause pain to radiate in that general area, as well as swelling to form in your gums. Some people even get a fever and pus pockets, which are a clear sign that your body is fighting off an infection. Not having the tooth treated by a dentist could lead to needing the tooth pulled, or having an infection that spreads in your body.
Arthritis
As you get older, you may start to experience joint inflammation known as arthritis. This doesn't just happen in your hands, but can also happen in your jaw. Arthritis is also accompanied with stiffness that may get better during the day. While you may not think this is a problem that can be diagnosed by a dentist, it is possible that they can identify signs of arthritis with an x-ray. They can then prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication or recommend exercises to help deal with having arthritis in your jaw.
If you need further answers to your questions, reach out to a family dental clinic in your area.