You may have developed a tooth infection from swollen jaw recently. This is a cause of concern for many people like you. Well, there could be ample underlying reasons why your jaw aches. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is one of the most common causes of jaw pain.
You may have practised TMJ exercises to soothe your pain. But did it resolve? In this article, we will explore what causes jaw pain along with the ways to relieve excruciating jaw pain.
Without much ado, let us explore what causes jaw pain.
What may have caused your jaw pain?
Jaw problems are not the only reasons behind your jaw pain. Let us take a close at the major causes of jaw pain here:
Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorder (TMD)
There are two temporomandibular joints on each side of the ear connecting the lower jaw to the skull. TMD is a condition when there is damage to the temporomandibular joints. The damage could be a result of grinding teeth during sleeping at night, jaw trauma, jaw clenching during stress, or it can be a genetic deformity.
Sinusitis
Our sinus cavities are filled with air situated near the jaw joints. When you have a sinus infection, and extreme congestion, the sinus cavities start putting pressure on the jaw, causing discomfort and temporary jaw pain.
Heartache
Left-side jaw pain is common in women who have chest pain. If you develop other symptoms like SOB or shortness of breath, with jaw pain, do not hesitate to visit an emergency dentist’s office.
Trigeminal neuralgia
There are two trigeminal nerves opposite each other. When a patient develops trigeminal neuralgia, they develop symptoms like a sharp shooting pain in the ears and spreading towards the jaw. While the pain is sharp, it lasts for a few seconds.
Toothache
Those who have swollen jaw from tooth ache may have TMJ. A decaying tooth can cause your teeth to experience sharp pain, making you feel like the jaws are aching.
Cluster headaches
These are the most painful forms of headaches with the person experiencing pain around the eyes. In severe cases, the pain spreads to the jawline.
How to Aid Jaw Pain
No one wants to live with jaw pain at all. If you have been experiencing jaw pain for a while, now is the time to see a dental professional to rule out TMJ. However, before you book an appointment with your dentist, make sure to try these home remedies to dissolve your jaw pain.
TMJ exercises
Did you know TMJ exercises can actually help strengthen your jaw muscles? There are lots of benefits of this exercise as it helps the jaw to stretch and relax, increasing the mobility of jaws. At-home TMJ exercises that you can follow include:
- Relaxed jaw exercise: Close your mouth. Then hold up your tongue against the roof of your mouth and teeth on the top. In that position, let the jaw fall slowly when you keep the tongue up against the teeth on top.
- Goldfish exercises: In this exercise, you will need to put your tongue against the roof of your mouth –followed by putting one finger on the TMJ joint. Then put your other hand on the chin while slowly pulling it down, keeping the tongue in that exact position.
- Side-to-side movement: This is nothing but an exercise when you move your jaw slowly from one side to the other.
- Tongue up: Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Then make sure you slowly open and close the mouth, keeping the tongue in its exact place.
- Forward movement: With the lower jaw keeping outward, move your lower teeth.
Stress management
Sometimes, we clench our jaws during stress. Some practice teeth grinding too. The pressure put on the teeth and jaw contributes to more stress resulting in pain in the jaws.
This leads us to the next question, “How to manage stress?” You should take time to think about what causes you stress a lot. Lower those activities and focus more on things you feel good about. It can be yoga, meditation, breath exercise or a simple walk in the park or anything else.
Massage
TMJ massage is a beneficial tool to reduce tooth infection swollen jaw pain. The massage helps to relax the muscles which is situated behind the molars and below the cheekbones.
Make sure to apply circular motion on these joints to improve lymphatic function. After that move down to the mandible muscles along the jaw. Use your index fingers to apply pressure against the muscle gently.
Chew as less as you can
While eating and chewing are necessary, it puts a lot of stress on the jaws. If you already have jaw pain this could worsen your condition even more. This is the reason you should minimize foods that need more chewing is a must.
Instead consume foods that require continual chewing. This would help relax the jaw muscles while decreasing the pain.
Reduce caffeine intake
You start your day with a cup of coffee to boost your vibe. You may not like it but caffeine has a lot of side effects on the jaw muscles and making your jaw pain much worse than anything.
Medication
There are several OTC drugs that could give you help manage TMJ pain. If these home remedies are not helpful, you can consider taking pain relievers to reduce jaw muscle tension.
Seek professional assistance
Apart from mouthguards, consuming minimised foods, medications, and so on, professional help becomes important when it comes to maintaining oral health. There are several medical options your dentist may recommend to treat TMJ pain like Botox, splint therapy and more. Your dentist is the right person to guide you on the right medication and therapy if you have TMJ.
Got swollen jaw one side? Do not hesitate to consult one of our dentists at Emergency Dentist London Pro. We would be more than happy to provide you with the medical assistance and advice you need.
