Sharp pain when opening the mouth. Why does your jaw hurt when chewing and when does it become dangerous?

The facial skeleton consists of the upper and lower jaw. The first anatomically consists of two bones with four processes and a body with an air sinus. The lower jaw is unpaired; the temporomandibular joint (hereinafter referred to as the TMJ) is “responsible” for its mobility. Muscles and teeth attached to the facial skeleton are responsible for chewing food, pronouncing sounds, providing facial expressions, etc.

Some people have jaw pain when opening their mouth; discomfort can also occur when pressing on the bones on one side or both at the same time. Such symptoms indicate various dental and other problems - from jaw fractures and TMJ dysfunction to vascular and heart diseases. Pain in the jaw when opening the mouth is an alarming signal indicating the need to visit a doctor.

Reasons

There are several groups of etiological factors in the development of pain.

Dental problems

So, if it is painful for a person to open his mouth, this may indicate damage to the integrity of the bone tissue of the lower jaw. Fights, sports, accidents - these are situations in which you can get injured. The list of the most common ones includes:

  • dislocations;
  • bruises;
  • fractures.

It is not difficult to dislocate the mandibular joint - all you need to do is make a sudden, inaccurate movement (for example, open your mouth too wide). When a dislocation occurs, the head of the TMJ “leaves” its place in the articular fossa - as a result, the “victim” of the injury experiences severe pain in the jaw, the mouth does not open completely, the facial muscles become numb, local swelling occurs, and speech becomes slurred.

Bruises - soft tissue injuries - lead not only to jaw pain, but also to the appearance of hematomas, swelling, hyperemia of the affected area, asymmetry of the facial muscles

Important! A dislocation can be determined visually because the jaw is shifted to the right or left side and the face is asymmetrical.

Pain in the jaw joint can be caused not only by bone damage, but also by soft tissue bruises. So, in the place where the main blow occurred, a hematoma and swelling appear, the patient cannot open his mouth, and discomfort occurs when chewing. It is noteworthy that, as a rule, the consequences of a bruise go away on their own - after 4-5 days, the unpleasant sensations disappear.

The fact that the mouth does not open, pain appears in the jaw on the left or right, a ache is felt in the teeth, the face becomes asymmetrical - all this may indicate a fracture. Treating such an injury is not easy - restoring damaged bone tissue requires time and effort.

Discomfort when opening the mouth also occurs with many dental problems. First of all, we are talking about inflammation that affects the soft tissues of the oral cavity. The causative agents of inflammation can be bacteria, viruses and fungi. Often the course of a particular dental disease is accompanied by the appearance of purulent formations.

Thus, the most common pathologies of a purulent nature are:

  • Boils. An abscess is formed when an infection enters a hair follicle (usually through a wound on the skin). Gradually, local inflammation spreads to deeper soft tissues, they fester, and pain may occur in the jaw due to compression of the nerve endings.
  • Osteomyelitis. A complication of periodontitis, purulent dental cysts, develops when bacteria from the oral cavity enter directly into the bone tissue during injuries (burns). The list of classic signs of osteomyelitis includes: pain in the jaw when you open your mouth wide, hyperthermia, fever, swelling of the face, enlarged submandibular lymph nodes, headaches and toothaches.
  • Cellulitis, abscesses. Inflammatory processes, the course of which is accompanied by the formation of a large amount of pus, swelling, sharp pain when chewing, opening the mouth and any other functional load on the jaw. With an abscess, a closed inflammation forms, with phlegmon, the focus is blurred. The main complication of such ulcers is the high risk of self-resolution with subsequent blood poisoning.

Important! General symptoms such as elevated body temperature, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and pain in the jaw should alert a person and prompt immediate medical attention.


TMJ dysfunction is a common cause of pain and jaw crunching when opening the mouth.

When the dentist has poorly secured the bite correction structure or performed poor-quality prosthetics, patients may also experience discomfort in the upper and lower jaw. The classic “provocateurs” of pain are braces - after their installation, most people experience discomfort not only when chewing, moving facial muscles, during a conversation, but even in a calm state.

By the way, such discomfort is a completely normal phenomenon, which, as a rule, disappears after the bone and soft tissues adapt to the constant wearing of the bite-correcting structure. Other causes of jaw pain of odontogenic origin:

  • caries;
  • pulpitis with damage to the nerve of the tooth;
  • periodontitis (inflammation of periodontal tissues);
  • dental injuries (chips, neck fractures);
  • gingivitis (inflammation of the gums);
  • alveolitis (an inflammatory process affecting the alveolar process that develops after tooth extraction).

If the mouth does not open completely, there is pain when chewing, the face is swollen - all this may indicate the appearance of benign or malignant neoplasms. In the early stages, such pathological processes are “silent”, so patients seek help from a doctor only when the abnormal process is quite advanced.

The list of the most common benign formations that cause pain and discomfort in the jaw area includes: osteomas, adamantiomas, osteoblatoclastomas. Dangerous malignant pathologies include: sarcomas (affect connective tissue), osteogenic origin - affecting bones, various types of cancer (localized in the epithelium).


Fluxes, abscesses, phlegmons and other purulent-inflammatory formations are also included in the list of “provocateurs” of jaw pain

It is noteworthy that malignant neoplasms are most often localized on the lower jaw (on the left or right side). Timely diagnosis of such pathologies allows you to take the necessary therapeutic measures and avoid the spread of metastases to other organs.

Arthritis, arthrosis of the TMJ are diseases that lead to pain in the lower jaw when opening the mouth (or while chewing), as well as in a calm state. In this case, the discomfort is “tied” to the lesion itself and is localized closer to the auricle. The pain can radiate to the neck, upper jaw, or eye sockets.

X-ray is a diagnostic measure that allows you to timely detect inflammation (signs of dysfunction) of the TMJ on the right or left and select the appropriate treatment. If nothing is done, arthrosis and arthritis in this area can lead to complete immobilization of the jaw (a person simply will not be able to open his mouth).

Non-dental diseases

Neuralgia and bruxism are the most common causes of jaw pain. In the first case, the trigeminal, superior laryngeal, and glossopharyngeal nerves are affected (pinched). The course of the disease is accompanied by increased pain when chewing and swallowing food, profuse salivation, pain when yawning, and movement of facial muscles.

Involuntary closing of the jaw and grinding of teeth (bruxism) cause frequent stress and other forms of nervous disorders; most often, people who have an abnormal bite suffer from this problem. Relaxing exercises and massage help to cope with the unpleasant symptoms of bruxism, which include pain in the jaw, and special day and night splints are designed to protect teeth from mechanical damage.


Various types of migraine pain radiate to the ear, eye sockets, upper and lower jaw

Important! Myocardial infarction also causes severe pain in the jaw.

The list of other signs of this serious pathology leading to necrosis of the heart muscle includes acute squeezing pain in the left side of the chest, which lasts for 15–20 minutes and does not go away even after taking painkillers, as well as shortness of breath and increased sweating.

An attack of angina (spasm of the coronary arteries) is another “provocateur” of discomfort in the jaw area. The appearance of symptoms indicating a cardiac disorder is a reason to seek medical help.

Other factors

Why does my jaw still hurt?

  • Tetanus. Additional signs: convulsions, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). The patient requires immediate medical attention (administration of antitetanus serum).
  • Carotidynia (a type of migraine). Symptoms: attacks of pain, the duration of which varies from a few minutes to 2-3 hours. Unpleasant sensations are localized in the lower jaw and radiate to the ears and eye sockets.
  • Red ear syndrome. Accompanies the course of spondylosis and damage to the pituitary gland.

Jaw pain in children often occurs due to mumps, as well as a violation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body.

Solving the problem

The tactics to combat jaw pain depend on the cause of its occurrence. So, cold compresses are applied to the site of bruises, dislocations are reduced, and if necessary (for example, in case of a comminuted fracture), surgical intervention is performed. For purulent-inflammatory processes, patients are prescribed antibiotic therapy; the abscess itself is opened, the contents are removed, and drainage is installed.

In case of myocardial infarction and other severe cardiovascular pathologies, the patient is hospitalized, thrombolytics, drugs that normalize blood pressure, analgesics, and blood thinning medications are prescribed. Painkillers and antidepressants can help relieve symptoms of carotidynia.


Timely treatment of caries, pulpitis, gingivitis and other dental diseases is the best prevention of pain in the jaw area

In case of dental problems, the doctor sanitizes the oral cavity, eliminates foci of inflammation, and treats “damaged” teeth. If neoplasms (benign or malignant) are detected, the patient undergoes surgery and is prescribed a course of radiation and chemotherapy.

As you can see, jaw pain is a polyetiological problem (occurs for various reasons), requiring qualified diagnosis and correct treatment. That is why, if the corresponding symptoms occur, it is recommended not to delay going to the doctor.

When the jaw clicks when opening the mouth and chewing, most people come to the doctor asking what to do in such a situation. Unfortunately, diseases of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are common and complicate the lives of patients of any age.

Clicking simply refers to the symptoms of some pathology, which may be associated with a violation of the integrity of the joint capsule or ligaments, infection, or overload of the joint.

Why does my jaw click?

The process when the lower jaw makes various movements may be accompanied by a characteristic click. This does not cause pain, but it does cause discomfort. In the initial stages of the disease, many patients become so accustomed to this sound that they do not even pay attention to the clicks until the disease begins to develop and pain joins the existing symptoms.

Clicking in the mandibular joint is just a symptom, behind which various causes of the disease are hidden. During excursion of the lower jaw, the articular head may jump out of the fossa in which it is located, and when returning to its original position, this is accompanied by a characteristic sound.

The main culprit for such clicks is the ligaments that surround the joint capsule, or rather their looseness. Many reasons lead to this condition:

  • muscle tone - it occurs due to excessive muscle tension during hypertrophied clenching of the jaws during sports, aggression or attempts to crush something hard with teeth, the so-called. May also be observed;
  • trauma - a blow to the mandibular region can lead to changes in the TMJ and to;
  • caries - many teeth that are in a dilapidated state significantly reduce the height of the bite, which leads to changes in the joints;
  • – jaw tightness at night, which is accompanied by creaking;
  • dental problems - worn-out dentures, poor quality of orthopedic treatment, as well as fillings that do not correspond to the anatomy of healthy teeth;
  • fatigue of the joint - long-term presence of the jaws in a tense state (many hours of treatment at the dentist, singing with the mouth wide open) due to which it can develop;
  • arthritis of the lower jaw joint.

Video: why does your jaw click? Answer from Dr. Alekseev.

Types of clicking

The clicks are different. They are distinguished by such parameters as sound strength, repeatability and the location of the lower jaw relative to the upper when opening the mouth.

Based on the intensity of clicking, they are divided into:

  1. Strong clicks - the sound is clearly distinguishable by others and the patient himself.
  2. Medium intensity - only the person himself hears the clicks, which occurs when chewing or during yawning.
  3. A faint clicking sound is so quiet that the patient does not even pay attention to it.

Clicks on the number of repetitions are:

  1. Single.
  2. Multiple.

This depends on the path of return of the head to the glenoid fossa.

According to the position of the lower jaw:

  1. When opening the mouth - the initial stage of movement (on one side or on both sides).
  2. When opened to the middle.
  3. When fully open.
  4. When closing your mouth (when chewing food).
  5. When jaws touch.

This usually happens without pain, but when other dental pathologies occur, for example, dental diseases, or after a blow, pain occurs when opening and closing the mouth.

Diagnostics

Determining a reliable diagnosis is very often difficult for the reason that patients go to the dentist with the disease in an advanced state, when the root cause of the disease is almost impossible to establish.

Clicking may be accompanied by other symptoms, including morning soreness, joint stiffness, discomfort when moving the mouth, and sometimes pain at rest in the event of the development of purulent-inflammatory complications.

Differential diagnosis is carried out when clicking occurs as a symptomatic manifestation of the following diseases:

  • dysfunctional disorder of the TMJ – this diagnosis is awarded to the patient by the dentist if the sound occurs during chewing. This is not a disease, but only a pathological condition in which the joint has certain structural abnormalities. A common sign of dysfunction is headaches that occur due to excessive muscle tension;
  • arthritis is an inflammatory lesion of the joint, leading not only to pain, but also to structural damage in case of untimely treatment. Often occurs against the background of a previously occurring purulent-inflammatory process in the body (otitis, purulent tonsillitis or other processes in the oral cavity);
  • pathological occlusion - clicks especially often occur during progeny, when the body of the lower jaw protrudes forward and the lower teeth overlap the upper ones. This mutual arrangement of the jaws affects the structure of the joint, while the head of the lower jaw is located on the slope of the tubercle, and not in its proper place - the articular fossa;
  • Arthrosis is a dystrophic disease with a chronic course that develops over a long period of time. In this case, pain and pathological noises occur in the morning, while the joint is not yet developed. By evening, the mobility of the lower jaw increases, and symptoms may disappear.

What to do if your jaw clicks?

Dental surgeons are involved in correcting pathological conditions that arise in the temporomandibular joint. Treatment is prescribed depending on the complexity of the situation, as well as on the reasons that led to the occurrence of pathological noise in the TMJ.

Very often, treatment lasts a long time, since it is necessary to correct dentures, re-filling teeth, and sometimes treatment by an orthodontist. If a joint is dislocated, then after it is set, the patient will have to wear an immobilizing bandage.

  1. Outpatient treatment, including the prescription of anti-inflammatory therapy, correction of dental structures located in the mouth and replacement of fillings.
  2. Surgical treatment, which includes reduction of the dislocation or surgery.
  3. Home treatment, in which the patient is obliged to follow a gentle diet, compresses, and also not to put excessive stress on the joint.

In severe cases, the patient is referred to maxillofacial surgeons working in a hospital to prescribe treatment.

Often, the patient’s recovery cannot be achieved without the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Nimulid gel, used externally for such purposes, relieves pain and symptoms of inflammation. However, you should not choose a drug on your own, since the appropriate medication is prescribed by a doctor based on the clinical picture.

Gymnastics

After eliminating the main causes of TMJ disease, dentists often prescribe the patient to perform a set of exercises aimed at increasing the endurance of the jaw muscles, as well as relaxing them.

Before performing joint exercises, you should thoroughly warm up the muscles, this is done by applying a warm compress for 5 minutes:

  • move your lower jaw forward and backward, up to ten times in each direction;
  • move your jaw to the right and left side, while keeping your lips open and as relaxed as possible. The exercise is repeated 10 times;
  • press your fingers on your chin, and try to move your jaw upward, making an effort. Perform the movements for 30 seconds;
  • place your fingers on both sides of the chin on the lower jaw, trying to push it forward for 30 seconds.

Treatment methods at home

Changes in the functioning of the temporomandibular joint cause discomfort and create certain difficulties when performing simple actions, such as eating, talking, singing. Moreover, in addition to crunching and clicking, painful sensations can also be added to them.

Treating the symptoms of the disease at home can temporarily improve the patient's condition. But for a full examination and to determine the root cause of clicking, it is better to contact a dental surgeon.

In situations where the disease overtook you by surprise, traditional medicine methods can alleviate the patient’s condition and remove discomfort in the lower jaw joint:

  • A cold compress is good to use for inflammation in the joint, as it relieves swelling and pain. Apply a towel soaked in cool water to the sore joint for 10-15 minutes at intervals of an hour;
  • hot compress - helps to relax muscles with arthrosis; for this, a bottle of hot water must be wrapped in a cloth to avoid skin burns, and applied to the sore spot;
  • infusions of medicinal herbs - a decoction of sage or calendula helps eliminate inflammation and pain when used topically.

To eliminate excessive stress on the joint, you should temporarily avoid rough foods, eat soft foods and limit excessive opening of the mouth.

Jaw clicks and hurts

A common cause of pathological clicking is arthritis of the mandibular joint. The cause of the disease is an infectious process, which, if prolonged, can even cause purulent melting of tissues.

In addition, arthritis often occurs against the background of an injury to the lower jaw. If you do not pay attention to the disease, it subsequently leads to ossification of the joint (ankylosis), which is manifested by a complete limitation of mobility, which can only be treated surgically.

The disease is characterized by certain symptoms:

  1. Clicking sounds when opening the mouth.
  2. , especially when it moves, as well as when pressing.
  3. Hyperemia of the skin around the causative site.
  4. Slight displacement of the jaw towards the diseased joint.
  5. When purulent exudate joins, a pulsating and lower jaw appears.

Prevention

The main source of health is careful attention to the condition of the whole body and the maxillofacial area in particular:

  • timely elimination of dental problems: treatment of carious lesions, removal of decayed teeth and prosthetics;
  • in case of injury, a medical examination is required;
  • timely treatment of ENT diseases;
  • Do not chew on too hard objects.

If you follow these simple tips, you can keep your lower jaw joint healthy for life.

Video: jaw crunching - how to determine the displacement?

Additional questions

Which doctor should I contact if my jaw is clicking?

All diseases that affect the temporomandibular joint are treated by doctors with dental training. In severe cases, examination by a surgeon may be necessary.

The jaw doesn’t open well, it jams, it hurts, it clicks – what are the symptoms?

The listed symptoms may be signs of diseases such as arthritis or arthrosis. To make an accurate diagnosis, you should visit a dental surgeon, where he will be able to establish an accurate diagnosis based on intraoral and external examination, as well as radiographs and computed tomography data.

When eating, the jaw clicks in the temple area

If this symptom is not accompanied by pain, then we can talk about dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, but this can only be said with certainty after examination by a doctor.

When pain in the jaw when chewing takes you by surprise, the need to take painkillers comes to the fore. In most cases, the pain syndrome is well relieved and therefore forgotten quite quickly. However, the real problem can lie low for a while and at an opportune moment make itself known.

Thus, soreness in the jaw area can be regarded as the result of awkward movements while eating. You should not find an excuse for a subsided illness; it is better to once again visit a qualified doctor and find out the cause of the discomfort. Only the attending physician will be able to recognize or exclude the disease, give recommendations or prescribe treatment.

It is important to understand that early diagnosis reduces the risk of possible complications and guarantees a favorable outcome of the pathological condition. Because the jaw bone can become ill for several reasons, it is worthwhile to dwell on each of them in more detail.

In the first place as possible causes of pain in the projection of the jaw bone is injury. As a rule, mechanical damage manifests itself quite quickly. A dislocation can cause sudden movement in the joint. A bruise is often the result of either accidental or intentional damage. As for cracks and fractures of the jaw, their implementation must be preceded by strong external influence. In all cases, the jaw hurts when opening the mouth, and clenching the teeth is much easier.

Dangerous inflammatory processes

Osteomyelitis is a serious disease of bone tissue, characterized by suppuration and decay of hard structures. Because the lesion spreads quickly, the surrounding soft tissues are also involved in the pathological process.

Cellulitis is an insidious pathological condition that can lead to serious consequences. Since inflammation spreads through blood vessels, it is almost impossible to stop without the intervention of a specialist.

An abscess is a closed cavity with purulent contents, which under certain conditions is ready to come out. You should not wait until the “bag” of pus opens and saturates nearby tissues with pathological exudate. Thus, the spread of infection can lead to serious complications.

Bite defect as a source of pain

An incorrect bite not only makes significant adjustments to the aesthetics of a smile, but also becomes a stumbling block when eating. Teeth that are unevenly positioned in relation to each other naturally lead to disruption of the digestion process already at the initial stage. Some foods are completely excluded from the diet because they are difficult to chew.

Therefore, often when clenching the jaws, pain occurs due to a clear discrepancy between the upper and lower dentition.

The unpleasant pain subsides immediately after the pressure on the curved tooth surfaces ceases.

Orthodontic structures and pain

As a rule, the process of getting used to braces or dentures proceeds completely differently in patients. In most cases, the adaptation period takes up to three weeks. But often, when wearing a “foreign body” inside the oral cavity, pain occurs, which may indicate correction of the bite if it is defective or the grinding of dentures to the patient’s gums.

This kind of unpleasant sensation can more likely be attributed to temporary discomfort rather than to painful adaptation. As is known, patients perceive even filling material for some time as a hindrance in the oral cavity.

Joint pain

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction in most cases becomes a real problem. Patients make every effort to unclench their jaws, but their mouth does not want to open.

Arthritis signals itself by characteristic swelling (swelling) of the joint and pain of varying intensity. When opening the mouth, it is obvious that the patient cannot move the lower jaw in full.

Arthrosis is characterized by peculiar movements of the jaws, similar to a zigzag. It seems that when moving, both jaws live a separate life. At the same time, patients note that their ear hurts, and less often their cheekbone.

Ankylosis of the jaw joint develops gradually, so pain in the jaw and around the ear should not be ignored by specialists. And pronounced stiffness of movement or complete blocking of the TMJ requires immediate help from specialized specialists.

Often, advanced forms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction with pain syndrome are the result of patients’ negligent attitude towards their health.

Jaw pain due to neuralgia

Pinched or inflamed nerve endings usually lead to shooting pains that can radiate to the cheekbone, temple or even the back of the head. The patient complains of constant discomfort when opening his mouth, because any movement provokes “lumbago.”

If your jaw hurts when you open your mouth due to neuralgia, it is important to seek qualified medical help. Advanced forms of neuralgia are fraught with serious complications.

Pain during tumor process

Neoplasms that can remain silent for a long time can be benign or malignant. In most cases, tumors develop asymptomatically until they compress nerve endings and neighboring organs and tissues. If your jaw hurts when you open your mouth, the pathological formation has probably already penetrated into the depths of the nervous tissue.

Adamantioma is a neoplasm characterized by relatively rapid growth. The characteristic protrusion of the jaw bone develops gradually. This suggests that there is too little room for the tumor to grow further. If your jaw hurts when you open your mouth, bone destruction may progress and at the same time compression of soft tissues, nerve endings and blood vessels occurs.

Osteoblastoclastoma is distinguished by its insidious character. During the onset of the tumor, the patient does not make any complaints regarding the facial area. Over time, the aching pain turns into acute pain, which means that the process has already affected the nerves and surrounding tissues.

As for malignant neoplasms, they even prefer to lead a secret lifestyle. Cancer is often discovered quite late, because the patient did not seek qualified help at the first sensation of pain. Most patients associate pain with dental problems, so they relieve the pain syndrome on their own and prefer to forget about it. Meanwhile, cancer slowly but surely attacks healthy cells and covers large areas.

Important questions

If your jaw hurts near your ear, what should you do? It is important to consider that pain in the ear area or just below can be a manifestation of both a disease of the ENT organs (otitis) and pain dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

What should you do if your jaw hurts when you chew and when you open your mouth? Any pain in the jaw while eating should not be ignored. Constant pain with painkillers can subside only for a while, and then return with a vengeance. And with a low pain threshold, you won’t be allowed to live in peace at all.

Why does my jaw hurt near my ear? It is important to note that pain in the jaw near the ear is most often associated with ear pathology. Thus, temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome can hide its face.

How to treat pain syndrome of temporomandibular joint dysfunction with folk remedies? It is important to know that if the jaw joint near the ear hurts, treatment should only be prescribed by a qualified specialist. Uncontrolled therapy can lead to irreversible functional impairment.

Many people experience pain in the jaw area when opening their mouth or when chewing. The reasons for this phenomenon can be varied. Often, painful sensations in the jaw can appear due to traumatic injuries to the maxillotemporal joint, inflammation in the trigeminal or facial nerves, gum pathologies and dental diseases. Quite often the ear and temple are involved in the pathology. Let's look at the main causes of pain in the jaw.

Why does my jaw hurt when I open my mouth and chew?

Traumatic disorders

Most often, damage to this area of ​​the skeleton occurs as a result of a car accident, a fall, or a strong blow to the jaw. So, with a bruise, swelling of the bruised area, pain when touched, and hemorrhage may be observed. Discomfort from a bruise will intensify when you try to open your mouth or chew food, and may radiate to your ear. Within 4-5 days, symptoms may decrease and disappear.

Subluxations or dislocations of the temporomandibular joint are also possible. In this case, normal closing of the mouth is impossible, and chewing even very soft food causes sharp pain. In some cases, the jaw crunches when moving without causing significant pain. The patient feels a shift of the jaw to one side. In this case, only a traumatologist will help get rid of the problem.

The most dangerous jaw injury is a fracture. The pain is intense and constant; there is significant swelling and areas of bruising in the area of ​​injury. With complex and numerous fractures, the jaw crunches in several places, which is accompanied by severe pain. An early visit to the doctor will undoubtedly speed up the healing process. However, even the most favorable outcome requires long-term care and treatment.


The most dangerous jaw injury is a fracture

Dental disorders

Pain in the jaw when moving can be caused by dental problems such as periodontitis, pulpitis, inflammatory lesions of the dental nerves. With these pathologies, the pain has a pulsating, aching character, discomfort increases at night, when chewing and freezing. There may also be numbness of the soft tissues around the jaw, headaches, and the ear may also become inflamed.

Advanced pulpitis or caries can become a trigger for the formation of odontogenic osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis involves damage to the jaw bone of an infectious nature. This disease can be manifested by high body temperature, severe redness of the skin over the affected area, and general weakness. Pain may also be felt in the ear. This disease is diagnosed by a dentist and confirmed by a general blood test and an x-ray of the lower jaw. The slightest suspicion of the presence of osteomyelitis requires immediate contact with a specialist. If left untreated, the infection can easily involve the brain in the pathological process.

A common cause of jaw pain is the eruption of wisdom teeth. This process can cause a lot of painful sensations in the jaw, and possibly in the ear, which is associated with inflammation of the adjacent tissues, and sometimes pathological ingrowth of the tooth.


Jaw pain may be caused by dental problems

Neurological disorders

Pain in the jaw area can be caused by inflammation of the nerves. Neuritis most often occurs as a result of hypothermia or exposure to a draft. Trigeminal neuritis is accompanied by boring and burning pain in the jaw on one side (right or left) and in the face as a whole, which becomes more intense at night, when the affected area cools and when opening the mouth. Neuritis of the superior laryngeal nerve is manifested by intense pain in the area of ​​the right or left half of the lower jaw. With neuritis of the glossopharyngeal nerve, the patient complains of intense pain in the thickness of the tongue and tissues under it, radiating to the jaw. Treatment of neuritis may include nonsteroidal drugs, analgesics, decongestants, and, if necessary, antibacterial and antiviral medications are also included. A good effect can be obtained if the pathology is treated not only with medication, but also using physiotherapy.

Facial artery lesion

Damage to this vessel of an inflammatory nature (arteritis) causes pain and a burning sensation along the artery, and numbness of the soft tissues of the chin, cheekbone, and upper lip is observed. Treatment of this pathology should include glucocorticoids and cytostatics.

Impaired functionality of the maxillotemporal joint

Such disorders are associated with damage to the masticatory muscle, which is the connecting link between the lower jaw and the skull. Violation of the functional abilities of the jaw can be caused by an incorrect bite or hypothermia, wide opening of the mouth or intense chewing movements. Pain in the jaw near the ear (near the joint) radiates to the temples and cheeks. Any movement in the affected area may be accompanied by a clicking sound or discomfort. Treatment of jaw dysfunction requires a competent and comprehensive approach.


Dysfunction of the maxillotemporal joint is also one of the causes of pain

Carotidynia

This pathology is considered a form of migraine. In this case, throbbing pain in the jaw area occurs for no noticeable reason and disappears on its own, sometimes it radiates to the ear and temple.

Osteogenic sarcoma

Sarcoma is a malignant bone formation. One of the earliest signs of this pathology in the jaw joint is pain during chewing or opening the mouth. The ear can also be involved in the pathological process, which is explained by its close location. Treatment of this disease should be carried out under the supervision of an experienced oncologist.

What to do if your jaw hurts?

Most pathologies that cause pain in the jaw joint or the jaw itself require competent medical care. A sore ear can also indicate possible damage to the maxillotemporal joint and jaw. Only a doctor can prescribe the necessary research methods and figure out why the jaw and ear hurt. That is why it is so important to seek help in a timely manner, with the appearance of the first signs of pathology. It is considered unacceptable to make any attempts to eliminate problems in these cases. An illiterate attempt to get rid of the problem can seriously aggravate the disease and the general condition of the patient.

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What to do if your jaw hurts when you open your mouth and when you chew: probable causes of pain and ways to eliminate it

Popularly, the articular organ consisting of the lower and upper jaws, connected by the temporomandibular joint, is called the “jaw.” Often people turn to dentists because of characteristic pain and crunching in this area. Pathology occurs for many reasons; it is important to identify them in time and cope with the problems.

Pain accompanies the patient while chewing food as a result of jaw movement and pressure on it. Unpleasant sensations are most often localized on the left or right side, less often on both simultaneously. The process cannot be started; the lack of proper treatment is fraught with serious complications.

Do not underestimate the problem; be sure to visit a dentist. Sometimes pain in the jaw area signals the progression of serious diseases that require the attention of a specialist.

Correctly identifying a specific illness that results in pain in the jaw obliges the doctor to find the cause of the pathology. Accurate diagnosis and the help of a qualified doctor are the key to a positive outcome of the disease, and the risk of complications is minimized.

There are many causes of acute pain; for convenience, doctors divided them into several groups, according to the main diagnostic criterion. Thanks to the classification, you will quickly understand the possible factors that influenced the development of the pathology. A clear clinical picture facilitates diagnosis and speeds up the treatment process. The following groups are considered the most common causes of pain in the jaw area.

Various injuries

Mechanical damage is easily confused with manifestations of other diseases. Injury can be determined in the presence of obvious pathology only with the help of a qualified specialist. There are several types of injuries:

  • dislocation - caused by a sudden movement of the joints;
  • fracture - occurs after severe mechanical trauma, the pathology refers to the upper, lower jaw, sometimes to both at once;
  • bruise - the damage is not severe enough for a fracture, but the characteristic symptoms are similar to a serious problem.

Look at the review of vitamins for teeth and gums and find out the instructions for use.

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Purulent-inflammatory diseases

  • Osteomyelitis. The disease is characterized by an inflammatory process and the appearance of a large amount of pus. Bone tissue is affected, the disease appears as a result of injury, infectious dental disease without proper treatment.
  • Furuncle. Doctors mean a fairly large formation with pus in the soft tissues. Usually the problem is visible immediately, although the center of the boil is under the skin. The formation can reach enormous sizes, as a result of which it puts pressure on the nerve endings, causing pain.
  • Phlegmon, abscess. Both complications pose a huge danger to human health. An abscess is characterized by a closed focus of inflammation; without proper treatment, phlegmon spreads further through the blood vessels, affecting more and more tissues. A mandatory symptom is the appearance of sharp pain in the jaw area.

Important! The above problems require immediate doctor intervention.

Orthodontics and the consequences of wearing braces or dentures

Dental structures for correcting dental problems in most cases cause mild pain when worn. The process is connected with the correction of the bite; roughly speaking, braces and various other devices are designed to change the formed position of the teeth in the jaw.

Before installing dental products, the doctor must warn the patient about possible discomfort. The phenomena are often temporary and are considered the norm. Doctors consider discomfort to be a sign of proper orthodontic installation. The pain appears due to the displacement of the dentition in the desired direction, the correction of the bite; previously this state of affairs was not typical for this person - hence the discomfort.

Similar symptoms accompany the patient immediately after installation of a removable denture. It takes a person a little time to get used to it, after a few weeks the pain subsides, and eventually goes away completely.

Sometimes the cause of jaw pain lies in a congenital disorder of the jaw structure (bad bite). The patient often suffers from discomfort while chewing food. Unpleasant symptoms indicate an urgent need to visit a doctor; only an experienced specialist will carefully study the problem and prescribe an appropriate solution.

It is impossible to correct a malocclusion on your own. No folk remedies will help solve the problem; visit the dentist in a timely manner to avoid complications.

Neoplasms

Tumors can be benign or malignant. Contact a specialist. The pathological process occurs with mildly expressed symptoms, which is typical for various formations.

Benign tumors are divided into several groups:

  • osteoma - sharp discomfort appears at the beginning of the appearance of the tumor, as it grows the pain intensifies;
  • adamantioma – pathology provokes a noticeable increase in jaw size, which leads to discomfort during meals. Initially, the symptoms are mild, but the discomfort intensifies over time;
  • osteoblastoclastoma - characterized by an almost asymptomatic course, aching pain over time develops into acute sensations that are difficult to tolerate.

Malignant formations are also divided into several groups. It is impossible to independently distinguish a benign tumor from a “bad” one: the symptoms are too similar. Often the problem is localized in the lower jaw; malignant types include sarcoma, cancer, and osteogenic sarcoma.

Pain near the ear

Painful sensations accompany every meal, and there is a high probability of discomfort in the ear area. Symptoms characteristic of such diseases: arthritis, arthrosis, sometimes the problems are confused with otitis media (inflammation of the ear can radiate to the jaw area).

Painful sensations are a signal to action; advanced cases lead to complete immobilization of the jaw. Diagnosis in such cases is difficult; the doctor performs x-rays to identify the exact cause.

Neuralgia

Often discomfort is caused by neuralgic problems. A pinched nerve for any reason leads to pain in the jaw; the pathology manifests itself especially sharply during meals. Damage to the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, and superior laryngeal nerves leads to sharp pain, increased salivation, discomfort also manifests itself during yawning and blowing your nose.

In any case, pinching requires immediate intervention. Over time, the pain will increase and irreversible consequences will begin to occur.

Infrequent causes of pain include:

  • bruxism (inability to clench the jaw during sleep; the patient is characterized by grinding, which causes problems with proper bite);
  • advanced caries. The infection spreads in the oral cavity, causing inflammation and pain in the jaw area.

Diagnostics

It is often difficult to identify the cause of pain. The patient comes to the doctor with severe discomfort; the course of many ailments is similar in symptoms. Many specialists are involved in making the correct diagnosis: they conduct a thorough examination of the oral cavity, talk with the patient, and carefully study complaints. Additionally, the results of radiography, computed tomography, and MRI are used.

Methods and methods of treatment

Each specific ailment requires a special approach; a detailed treatment plan depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. Advanced cases require surgical intervention.

In some cases, the problem will disappear after eliminating dental problems, for example, treatment of caries, correction of bite, replacement of dentures and other useful manipulations. Physiotherapeutic procedures provide excellent results.

Correction of TMJ defects is accompanied by treatment with anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medications. It is prohibited to prescribe any medications on your own; only use medications prescribed by your doctor.

How to relieve the condition at home

Unconditional adherence to the following rules will help to significantly alleviate the condition or completely eliminate the pain syndrome:

  • stop chewing gum;
  • eat exclusively soft foods (soups, various cereals, finely chopped lean meats are excellent);
  • try to strain your jaw as little as possible: do not open your mouth wide;
  • A hot compress relieves pain. Just apply a bottle of warm water to the sore spot, after a few minutes the discomfort will begin to go away;
  • In case of inflammation, a hot compress is contraindicated; use cold, no more than 15 minutes. Between treatment procedures, take a break of at least one hour;
  • Decoctions of calendula, nettle, chamomile, and sage will help relieve pain. It is allowed to take mild painkillers (no-spa, Spazmalgon and others);
  • For bruxism, use a special mouthguard; the product protects the teeth from abrasion and relieves pain in the jaw area.

How to remove bad breath? Learn effective methods.

Can a tooth hurt after nerve removal? Read more on this page.

Therapeutic gymnastics drives blood into the jaw area and helps reduce pain:

  • Move your jaw from its natural position to the left - to the right up to 10 times.
  • Place the brush on your jaw and push it away until it stops. Resistance trains muscles, develops them, and relieves pain.

It is advisable to prevent diseases of the maxillofacial system by following a number of simple rules:

  • consult a doctor promptly for treatment of dental problems;
  • the occurrence of infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract - treatment is mandatory;
  • toughen up, lead a healthy lifestyle, improve your immunity.

It is important to be careful about your health; failure to follow simple rules leads to frequent pain in the jaw area and other complications. If pathology does manifest itself, immediately visit the dentist’s office; only an experienced specialist will solve the problem.

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The jaw hurts when opening the mouth and when chewing: treatment

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The unpleasant sensation that the jaw hurts when opening the mouth can bring significant discomfort to a person’s life, making it difficult to eat and speak. This symptom may indicate the presence of various diseases, so you should contact a medical facility to eliminate the pain. Depending on the type of disease, consultation with a dentist, surgeon, neurologist and other specialists may be required. A medical examination will determine the pathology and prescribe effective treatment.

Anatomical and functional features of the jaw

The facial skeleton includes the upper and lower jaws. The upper one is paired - it consists of two bones, has four processes and a body containing an air sinus inside. The lower jaw is unpaired; its mobility is ensured by the temporomandibular joint. Teeth and muscles, which are attached to the surface of bone tissue, are involved in the process of chewing food and pronouncing sounds. Jaw movements are carried out using the temporomandibular joint. Some diseases lead to the appearance of pain, a characteristic click when opening the mouth.

Sometimes pain occurs when pressing on the jaw and is felt on one side or both at the same time. Pain may be due to bone damage or joint disease. In some cases, for example, with cardiac pathologies, it can radiate to the jaw, resulting from disturbances in the functioning of other organs. Intense pain is observed when the jaw bones are fractured or the joint is damaged. In such cases, the patient cannot even open his mouth. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help to avoid serious complications and deterioration of your health.

Factors contributing to jaw pain

All causes of pain in the jaw area are conventionally divided into several main groups. When diagnosing a disease, the clinical picture is taken into account. Treatment at an early stage of the disease greatly contributes to the success of its cure.

Tissue damage due to trauma

Jaw injuries can be caused by falls, blows during sports or street fights, injuries received during transport accidents, and accidents. The most common types of injuries are bruises, dislocations, and fractures.

Dislocations (subluxations)

The cause of dislocation of the jaw joint is sudden movements. Sometimes it occurs when the mouth is opened wide; people who open bottles with their teeth are at risk of getting it. During dislocation, the head of the lower jaw bone changes its position, leaving the articular fossa. The patient feels sharp pain in the jaw joint, cannot open or close his mouth, and his speech is difficult to understand.

Visually, the jaw can be shifted to one side or pushed forward. To reduce the dislocation, it is necessary to use the help of a traumatologist.

Bruises

While bone integrity is maintained, soft tissue damage occurs. Swelling and hematoma appear at the site of the impact; in some cases, it is painful for the patient to open his mouth, and it is difficult to chew food. The condition improves without special treatment, and after about 5 days the symptoms disappear.

Fractures

Fractures cause the most severe damage. There is severe pain, unnatural mobility of the jaw bones, often the patient cannot open his mouth, and there may be asymmetry of the face on the right or left side. Swelling in the lower part of the face increases, sometimes the site of a bone fracture is clearly visible, and hematomas appear as a result of bleeding. Treatment and restoration of damaged tissue takes a long period of time. Timely access to a medical facility will help avoid wound infection and associated complications.

Diseases leading to tissue inflammation and pus formation

Such pathologies include the predominant part of dental diseases. An infection, often bacterial, less often viral or fungal, takes part in the development of the inflammatory process in the oral cavity.

The most common purulent diseases are:

  1. Boils. The disease occurs as a result of infection penetration into the hair follicle located in the skin through the damaged surface of the epidermis. The inflammation gradually spreads to the deeper soft tissues, pus forms in them, which causes pain due to compression of the nerve endings.
  2. Osteomyelitis. The disease is very dangerous and requires immediate treatment, since inflammation affects not only soft tissues, but also bones, including bone marrow. The cause of the disease odontogenic osteomyelitis is the penetration of infection from teeth affected by periodontitis, purulent cysts in the area of ​​dental roots, and direct entry of bacteria from the oral cavity during injuries and burns. The hematogenous form of the disease develops when pathogens are carried through the bloodstream. Symptoms of osteomyelitis: jaw pain, increased body temperature, chills, enlarged lymph nodes, the face swells, takes on an asymmetrical shape, and headache and toothache may occur.
  3. Abscesses and phlegmons. Both types of inflammatory processes are accompanied by tissue swelling, the formation of a large amount of pus, and severe pain. If they appear, you should immediately seek medical help. With an abscess, the focus of inflammation is closed, with phlegmon - diffuse. There is a danger of its spreading to new areas with the appearance of life-threatening complications. The patient's body temperature rises, his jaw hurts when opening his mouth, and it is difficult for him to chew and swallow. There is general weakness, headache, and possible tissue necrosis at the site of inflammation.

Installation of dentures and structures that provide bite correction

Patients may experience some discomfort after installing various structures to strengthen or replace damaged teeth, while wearing braces. This soreness is usually temporary and is considered normal. The jaw may also hurt if there are disturbances in its structure, leading to the formation of a malocclusion. There are methods to correct it and eliminate pain.

Various types of neoplasms

Pain in the jaw when chewing may be associated with tumor formation. Since the symptoms at the initial stage of the disease are mild, patients often seek help at later stages of the development of the pathological process. Benign neoplasms include adamantium, osteoma, and osteoblastoclastoma.

Malignant tumors are divided into the following groups:

  • sarcomas formed from connective tissue;
  • cancers - develop from epithelial tissue;
  • osteogenic sarcomas - originate from bone tissue and usually affect a specific type of bone.

Malignant neoplasms most often occur in the lower jaw. These types of tumors pose a particular danger to life and health, characterized by rapid growth and spread of metastases to other organs.

To diagnose diseases, radiography, computed tomography, and morphological studies of tissue samples are used.

Diseases in which pain in the jaw is noted near the auricle

There are a number of diseases in which the jaw may hurt in areas bordering the ear. Often this symptom occurs with arthritis - an inflammatory process in the jaw joint, the intensity of pain in which increases at night, and arthrosis - pain is caused by age-related changes and increases with physical activity, subsiding at rest. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out using radiographic examination. Timely treatment allows you to avoid immobilization of the jaw.

Neurological diseases

Neurological causes of jaw discomfort include neuralgia and bruxism. The first disease manifests itself when one of the nerves providing innervation to the face is pinched - trigeminal, superior laryngeal or glossopharyngeal. The pathology is accompanied by sharp pain, the intensity of which increases when eating food, increased salivation, and unpleasant sensations are also noted when blowing the nose and yawning. It is necessary to begin treatment at the initial stage of the disease to prevent the situation from worsening due to irreversible changes in tissues.

Bruxism is a disease in which involuntary clenching of the jaws and grinding of teeth occurs. It is usually caused by stress or nervous system disorders and is often found in people with malocclusion. Periodically repeated attacks lead to abrasion of dental dentin, inflammatory processes in tissues, changes in joints, causing pain. Relieving nervous tension through relaxation exercises and massage can reduce the frequency and severity of bruxism symptoms. Special day and night splints selected by your dentist will help protect your teeth and joints.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood vessels

Pain in the lower jaw and neck can occur during acute myocardial infarction. This is a life-threatening condition that causes necrosis of the heart muscle. The main causes of the disease are spasm of the vessels supplying the heart with blood, closure of their lumen with atherosclerotic plaques or a blood clot. The development of a heart attack is indicated by the following symptoms: pain in the chest area lasting more than 15 minutes, which does not go away even when taking nitroglycerin and painkillers, the patient has difficulty breathing, and sweating increases.

Irradiation of heart pain from the sternum to the jaw sometimes occurs during attacks of angina pectoris - spasm of the coronary arteries, leading to insufficient oxygen supply to the heart muscle. If symptoms of cardiac dysfunction appear, immediate medical attention is required.

Severe pain in the jaw near the ear, wings of the nose, or extending into the eye socket is characteristic of arteritis - inflammation of the walls of the arteries. When large vessels are affected, pain can be observed over a large area of ​​the face and neck.

What else can cause jaw pain?

Pain sometimes occurs for a number of other reasons. Qualified specialists will help you understand their origin. Rarely encountered causes of pain include:

  1. Tetanus is a disease accompanied by muscle cramps and difficulty swallowing. If symptoms of pathology appear, you must immediately contact a medical facility. Antitetanus serum is used to treat the disease.
  2. Carotidynia is a type of migraine. Pain occurs during attacks, the duration of which can reach 1 hour. They spread to the lower jaw, ear area, and eye sockets.
  3. Red ear syndrome - usually develops with damage to the thalamus, cervical spondylosis.
  4. In children, pain in the jaw area occurs due to mumps (mumps) and disturbances in the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium in the body.

Therapeutic measures

Therapeutic tactics depend on the type of disease and are aimed at eliminating the cause of the pathology and relieving pain. Cold compresses are used to treat bruises, dislocations are reduced, and surgical intervention may be required to align bone fragments in fractures. In case of purulent diseases, abscesses are opened to remove the pus, and a course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed.

Painkillers and antidepressants are used to relieve the symptoms of carotidynia. In case of myocardial infarction, urgent hospitalization of the patient is necessary with the prescription of thrombolytics, drugs that normalize blood pressure, prevent blood clotting, and narcotic analgesics.

In case of inflammatory processes in teeth and periodontium, oral cavity sanitation is carried out. For neoplasms, surgical or combined treatment is used, supplemented by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Your health Dislocation of the lower jaw Dislocation of the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. Clinic "Academic Dentistry" Temporomandibular joint. Elimination of dysfunction during correction of skull bones

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Where does pain in the jaw joint come from when chewing?

It's no secret that by taking care of your health and regularly undergoing preventive examinations, you can avoid many problems. But even if you follow these simple rules, there is a chance that you will encounter unexpected troubles.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint responsible for the functioning of the jaw. Sometimes it presents unpleasant surprises: crunching, clicking, pain, discomfort when opening the mouth, chewing and talking. These symptoms can bother people of any age and often indicate a malfunction of the TMJ.

You can feel the jaw joint yourself: it is located near the ear, and when you open your mouth, a depression is found near the lobe. The joint has a complex structure, consisting of bones and adjacent muscles and tendons, so there are many reasons that cause certain diseases. Diseases can develop both as a result of existing health problems, and against the background of accidental mechanical damage.

The true cause of pain in the jaw joint may be inflammation of the surrounding soft structures, passing nearby nerves, bone tissue or its trauma.

Absolutely unrelated reasons can lead to jaw pain.

Namely:

  • exposure to any physical force;
  • malocclusion;
  • osteomyelitis, osteogenic tumor;
  • arthrosis;
  • arthritis;
  • tooth decay or the growth of figure eights also cause pain in the jaw on the right or left, depending on the side where the disturbing hard element is located;
  • neuralgia also causes pain in the jaw joint when opening the mouth;
  • chronic head diseases.
Places at the joint of the jaw where problems may occur

The problem is diagnosed by a dental surgeon or neurologist. If all teeth have been treated and nerve diseases have been ruled out, a maxillofacial specialist is involved in the consultation, as it may be necessary to solve the problem through surgery.

Each case where the jaw hurts when opening is considered:

  • by frequency;
  • intensity of manifestations;
  • different symptoms.

The basis of the diagnosis will be an X-ray image, which will show a picture of what is happening inside.

Why does my jaw hurt when I open my mouth wide?

The causes of the condition, with the feeling that the jaw hurts when opening the mouth on the left or on the back side, can be acute and chronic processes of inflammation. They cause swelling of the soft structures, and since the space is limited, they put a certain pressure on the articular joint.

With a severe acute process, discomfort appears very quickly. A system reaction that is triggered quickly often creates conditions for a local response of a more intense nature. It happens that after two or three days from the onset of inflammation, patients say that they cannot open their mouth and their jaw hurts. In a chronic condition, everything drags on.

What causes inflammation:

  • No matter how trivial it may seem, let's start with ordinary caries, not in the surface layer of the crown, but when it is deeply destroyed. When bacteria penetrate into the canal and then into the root apex area. A focus of inflammation forms there, spreading without treatment to neighboring tissues. And if the tooth is closer to the larynx, then such cases when pain appears in the upper jaw on the right do occur. Inflammation spreads not only to soft structures, but also to bone. Accordingly, this affects the joint and its connection area. There are disturbances in the nutrition of the depreciation zone, and it is gradually injured in the created pathological conditions.
  • Osteomyelitis can occur either independently or arising according to the scenario described above. It gives an unpleasant pain in the jaw when opening the mouth. Against the background of the disease, discomfort in the head and general weakness bother me.
  • The wisdom tooth causes a local reaction in the space where it tries to find a place for itself. A person feels that his jaw joint on the right hurts if the figure eight begins to push through from this side.
  • When the bone joint itself is inflamed, unpleasant sensations appear with frequency. They can be not only on one side, when the upper jaw hurts on the left, but also affect the shock absorption zone from below. With arthrosis and arthritis, symptoms occur in the morning and evening hours and are activated seasonally or when immunity decreases. The duration depends on the characteristics of the body.

Palpation of the articular joint in the area of ​​jaw movement

Other reasons

Neuralgia

If the lower jaw hurts when opening the mouth and at the same time in the morning and daytime a reaction appears at the local level in the form of burning, numbness, then the cause may be inflammation or damage to the nerve. The intensity of the unpleasant sensations is paroxysmal in nature, radiating to the temples and ear.

May be affected:

  • guttural;
  • glossopharyngeal nerve,
  • facial;
  • trigeminal.

Penetration of undesirable microorganisms into the structures holding teeth

Infection of the pulp causes a reaction in the nervous system. And if the large nerve is close to this place, impulses are transmitted along it to the temporomandibular zone.

Injury

A dangerous condition is a condition when a sharp pain appears in the lower jaw on the left or on the side where the injury was the cause of the reaction. The result will be dislocation and fracture of the bone area.

Damage caused:

  • displacement of teeth due to their loose retention inside the gums;
  • malocclusion;
  • or mechanical impact.

Dysfunction of the jaw joint

Tumors

When any type of pathological neoplasm grows, it has nowhere to go; as it increases in volume, it provokes irritation of the nerves and other internal structures. This can result in such strong compression of the bone joint if the tumor is in close proximity that pathological displacement or dislocation of the joint is caused. This condition should be monitored by internal research.

How is the diagnosis excluded or confirmed?

When diagnosing why the jaw hurts on the left side or in the opposite area; inflammation, dislocation and subluxation are immediately excluded.

If inflammation is confirmed, the cause of its initiation must be established. If subluxation is confirmed, there may be several options. Determination is possible by examining the internal state of hard tissues.

There is also a syndrome called dysfunction of the jaw joint, which causes pain. It is penetrating, its disappearance is possible with the right general approach. Since the patient experiences pain in the jaw when yawning, chewing, and even when opening the mouth slightly. Each movement can cause an unpleasant click, which, due to the proximity of the location, can be heard in the ear.

It seems to happen in the ear rather than outside of it. Chewing food is unpleasant. Therefore, in addition to normalizing the bite, therapy is complemented by comprehensive measures to relax the masticatory muscles.

In fact, each cause of pain in the maxillo-articular joint leads to a certain degree of dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this condition so that, based on differential diagnosis, it is possible to determine the source of irritation.



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