Possible Reasons You Have Jaw Pain

What are the most common types of pain that you’ve been ignoring? Is jaw pain one of those? If yes, you need to stop taking it for granted. Just like any other pain in your body, jaw pain may also be due to a serious reason, and hence, none of the pain should be ignored. While sometimes jaw pain may occur due to a prolonged weird position of your jaw, mostly it may be a sign of a dental emergency. Before you even think of overlooking this issue, make sure you know all the possible causes of jaw pain.

Improper Bite or Severe Teeth Misalignment

When you have severely misaligned or crowded teeth, you will face improper bite issues. Crowded and impacted teeth apply pressure on your gums and jaw bone so that you can chew properly. This pressure eventually leads to continuous jaw pain. Also, if your braces are too tight to solve the misalignment problems, you may experience jaw pain.

Prolonged Teeth Grinding and Clenching

Known or unknown teeth grinding and clenching, also known as bruxism, apply direct pressure to your teeth and jaw bone. Apart from enamel depletion, loose teeth, and cracked teeth, grinding and clenching also result in persistent jaw pain. Grinding and clenching may seem like a usual and soothing thing to do when nervous or excited, it has serious repercussions that can lead to a dental emergency. Talk to your dentist to know about ways to curb and prevent bruxism.

An Injury or Trauma

If you are a sportsperson, you are more exposed to dental injuries caused due to sports equipment or a collision with your co-players. This injury can immediately cause trauma or shock to your jaw bone and result in jaw pain. The jaw pain can also be associated with a dental issue such as fractured tooth or loose tooth due to trauma. In any case, you must visit your dentist to prevent any further damage to your jaw bone or dental structure.

Certain Dental Problems

When you suffer from certain oral and dental problems, you may experience minor to immense jaw pain. Some of these issues include:

-A toothache, usually because of a cavity or an abscess

-Teeth that are cracked, crowded, or sensitive to temperature or pressure

-Gum disease, which can damage your jawbone

Each of these issues can be regarded as a dental emergency that will require you to visit your dentist at the earliest. On ignoring, these problems can become even more serious and result in grave consequences like tooth loss and injuries to your tongue, cheeks, and lips.

Apart from these, some other causes of jaw pain may include issues like temporomandibular disorder, sinus, trigeminal neuralgia, etc. The best way to identify the reason is to talk to your dentist and doctor both. You will also get to know the best ways to deal with the issue.