My Jaw Hurts. Is There Anything I Can Do to Fix It?

August 15, 2021

My Jaw Hurts. Is There Anything I Can Do to Fix It?

Are you experiencing jaw pain?

Are you or a loved one experiencing chronic jaw pain? You’re not alone. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), TMJ is a common condition. Their research estimates that over 10 million people in the United States experience TMJ.

Jaw pain can be such a disruptive experience to our daily lives, and for many, we don’t quite realize how important our jaw is until simple actions like chewing and speaking suddenly become almost unbearable.

Of course, when we’re feeling chronic pain it can be difficult to enjoy ourselves, and increased feelings of irritability, isolation, and even depression can occur. Why is this jaw pain happening? And will it ever go away?

What is temporomandibular joint disorder?

Just in front of your ear canals, your jawbone connects to your head on each side. When functioning properly, it smoothly moves as you open and close your jaw, cushioned by a small layer of cartilage.

When it’s not functioning properly, you may have facial pain, tenderness, clicking or locking in one or both of your jaw’s joints, or difficulty chewing, you might be experiencing temporomandibular jaw disorder.

How did I get TMJ? Will TMJ go away?

The specific cause of your TMJ can sometimes be hard to identify.

Potential contributors to TMJ include clenching your jaw, teeth grinding, recent injury to the jaw, a possible genetic predisposition, inflammatory disease, or arthritis..

Additionally, the cartilage that helps to provide cushion between the adjoining bones can become damaged due to trauma or as a result of arthritis, which can make TMJ particularly painful for those experiencing it.

Many instances of TMJ are short-lived and can be managed with non-invasive methods, but surgery is conducted for those more severe cases where other methods prove to be insufficient.

How are TMJ disorders treated?

We recommend making an appointment with us at Carter Park Dental. We can provide personalized recommendations for treatment based on the severity of your case.

One of the most important things you can do is to prepare yourself for your appointment, so that we can have an informed and productive discussion. Here are some of the topics we’ll likely cover:

When did you first notice the discomfort in your jaw?
Are you able to open your mouth normally?
Was there an inciting incident that might’ve caused your discomfort?
Do you have a history of headaches? Toothaches?
Is your discomfort consistent or does it go away and reappear?
Have you ever noticed this happening before?
Do you know if you grind your teeth at night while you sleep?
Have you recently experienced feelings of stress or anxiety?
Are you able to chew on both sides of your mouth?
Do you hear clicking, grinding, popping, or similar sounds when you move your jaw?

Based on your responses, we’ll have many additional questions that we can ask in order to provide you with greater insight and recommendationsThough there are many non-surgical methods available, including prescription medications, often the best place to start is with more therapeutic options.

In addition to physical therapy-related methods that might include applications of hot and cold and carefully executed stretching exercises, there are counseling-driven techniques that are designed to help patients limit habits that might be contributing to their TMJ disorder symptoms.

If you’re someone who grinds their teeth or clenches their jaw, learning healthy and effective ways to destress can help create positive results in preventing continued aggravation of the jaw.

Of course, there are times when we don’t even realize that we’re clenching our jaws or grinding our teeth, like when we’re sleeping. In these instances, there are dental appliances, like mouthguards, that can be worn in the mouth during the night that will prevent the wearer from grinding their teeth.