Jaw Pain

Jaw pain is often described as a stinging or dull pain in this area. 

There are many different reasons why the jaw can start hurting and a dental examination is required to find out the reason for the problem. 

The pain can range from a slight inconvenience to a debilitating condition that affects how we eat, speak, and our everyday lives. 

It can be difficult to determine the jaw pain's source, so consulting an emergency dentist in dire circumstances would be best.

What Causes Jaw Pain?

Many different factors can contribute to pain in the jaw. It can either be a one-time issue solved with some quick techniques, or an indication of other, worse problems. 

• Headaches or Migraines - Particularly strong headaches (such as cluster headaches) or even migraines can cause jaw pain. As the pain can often radiate to different parts of the skull depending on how intense the headache is. 
• Temporomandibular muscle disorders - The temporomandibular joints are the joints that connect the lower jaw to the rest of your skull. Any injuries or disorders with these are the most common causes of jaw pain.
• Tooth pain and other dental issues - Severe tooth abscesses or cavities are sources of pain that flare up very close to the jaw. It is likely that the aching can spread to the rest of your lower jaw. Sudden bursts of pain in your teeth or jaw could be a dental emergency that requires swift care.

Symptoms

Here are several signs that can indicate pain jaw, or other problems related to your jaw.

• Frequent clicking or popping when yawning.
• Jaw might feel stiff or difficult to move.
• Dull aching
• Stabbing or sharp pain
• Toothaches 
• Swelling or inflammation

Ways to Relieve Jaw Pain

If you suffer from consistent jaw pain, consulting your doctor would be the best course of action. 

An emergency dental clinic if the pain grows too severe. In the meantime, however, there are multiple ways you can relieve or at least reduce the pain. 

Sometimes these are enough to treat the problem completely, but it would be prudent to get the professional opinion of a doctor or dentist either way. 

One of the major changes you could commit to is reducing the hard or chewy food that you consume. 

Food with such textures causes your jaw to exert more effort to chew them properly. 

Adding more soft items to your diets like rice and oatmeal could reduce the amount of stress your jaw is under whenever you eat. 

Applying heat or ice packs to your jaw can relieve the pain and relax the tense muscles. 

Pain killers that you can get over the counter may help lessen jaw pain.

Medical Treatment

As stated above, getting medical professionals to examine your jaw would be the best course of action if the pain is consistent. 

Your dentist will then decide upon the proper treatment after they reach a diagnosis. 

They may prescribe you stronger pain killers, antibiotics if the pain is the result of a bacterial infection or long-term solutions like full-on surgery and physical therapy afterwards.