Is Jaw Pain Tooth Related?
Because of how closely connected all the structures in the mouth and face are, if you have pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ), it can be difficult to determine if this pain is because of a problem with the joint itself, like TMJ disorder, or a problem with a nearby tooth. The temporomandibular joint is the joint that connects the upper and lower jaw to the skull on the sides of the face, and its main function is opening and closing the mouth; the joints are located just in front of each ear. When this joint gets irritated, which can happen for any of a variety of reasons, this inflammation is known as TMJ disorder. TMJ disorder is painful and can arise for a number of different reasons, ranging from clenching the jaw due to stress, to an issue with the bite that remains uncorrected for too long. Sometimes, jaw pain can develop without TMJ disorder, like when pain radiates from an infected or inflamed tooth near the temporomandibular joint. While this type of jaw pain is usually resolved when the toothache is addressed, sometimes, the pain from a toothache can cause you to clench or grind your teeth, which can lead to TMJ disorder over the longer term.
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort in your jaw or have a toothache, the first step is to try to determine the reason for this. Look at your teeth and the inside of your oral cavity in a mirror, checking to see if any of the teeth appear damaged with chips or cracks or if any cavities are apparent. If you have an infected tooth, you may see pus seeping from the tooth, and the tooth might radiate a putrid smell and cause a bitter taste in the mouth. Pay attention to how your teeth feel, too; if you notice that one or more of your teeth are unusually sensitive to extreme temperatures or sugary foods, it’s likely that you have a cavity that needs treatment, and prompt treatment can help prevent jaw pain from arising in the first place. If you notice that your jaw is sore when you’re under an unusual amount of stress, try relaxing your face and consciously unclenching your jaw, and see if stress-reduction techniques like meditation or breathing exercises help reduce your jaw pain.
Because the temporomandibular joint is so closely and complexly connected with ligaments, muscles, nerves, and other tissues that support the head, face, and neck, the pain from TMJ disorder can radiate upward into the head or ears, and downward into the teeth. This pain may be similar to the pain of a toothache. Tooth pain may also be caused by stiffness in the muscles of the face that can be caused by TMJ disorder. Likewise, issues with the teeth can cause jaw pain. If you have undergone a dental restoration procedure, like receiving a dental crown, your bite may have been misaligned when the restoration was placed. Issues with the bite can cause undue strain to be applied to the teeth, which, in turn, places undue strain on the jaw joint. This strain arises because of problems with the teeth, but when left untreated, it can lead to long-term, inconvenient and uncomfortable TMJ disorder. Addressing issues with the teeth can prevent jaw pain, and addressing issues with jaw pain can keep overall problems from getting worse. The systems are inextricably connected and depend on each other for their overall health.
Addressing issues with a tooth can also help a patient to avoid extraction.