How to avoid Jaw Pain?

Jaw pain, in addition to being a particularly unpleasant phenomenon, is difficult to identify because it can involve different parts of your anatomy: muscles, bones, tendons, etc. Nutrident.fr offers you an inventory of the jaw pain to guide you on the best solution to get rid of it.

The jaw joint

The proper functioning of our jaws is vital, because we use them all day long. They allow us to cut food, to grind and chew it, and then to swallow it by swallowing; their movements are at the origin of the sounds and therefore of the words that we formulate; they are also used to yawn and release pressure.

To do all of this, we rely on the temporomandibular joint on each side of the face to move our mandible (lower jaw).

If you are experiencing pain in this joint, it may be from the joint itself or from muscle problems.

What is jaw pain?

Your jaw may lock or crack, the pain may also spread to your neck, neck, shoulders or ears. This pain may affect your speech or prevent you from eating properly.

When pain spreads, it causes secondary symptoms:

• Headaches
• Ear pain;
• Buzzing
• Stiffness in the cervical spine
• Inflammation of the gums;
• Manifestation of lymph nodes in the neck;
• Cheek swelling;

Jaw pain can make it difficult for you to cut your food, chew it to grind it, and then swallow it. This dysfunction can also lead to a mismatch between your two jaws and thus modify the contacts between the teeth. This causes problems of malocclusion and premature wear.

To temporarily alleviate these pains, you can apply an ice pack that will anesthetize the nerve endings. However, if the pain persists over the days, you should talk to your dentist.

Identify the cause of your jaw pain

It is important to determine the cause of the jaw pain, as it may be due to a mechanical dysfunction that can be attributed to the bones, muscles or ligaments of the temporomandibular joint, or to a pathology.

The main sources of pain come from:

• the growth of wisdom teeth that interfere with the occlusion;
• an accident that leaves a trauma, which can go as far as dislocation or fracture;
• awkward behavior: when you have tics or the habit, for example, of closing the jaws by shifting them horizontally, which causes uneven wear that prevents the bite;
• Bruxism, which wears down the teeth unevenly, but also overtaxes the joint;
• Atypical swallowing of which this pain is only one of the many consequences;
• contractions due to stress and anger;
• chewing gum abuse.

There is a mild and transient form of jaw pain that is an excellent sign: when you have laughed a lot! Laughter and giggles cause your jaw muscles to work excessively and you may feel pain. But no one will complain, because it is very good for morale!

Pathologies responsible for jaw pain

All diseases related to bone health can cause jaw pain. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteonecrosis of the jaw, certain cancers or ATM which affects the entire system: muscles, bones, ligaments and joints.

In the case of this type of pathology, a general practitioner should be consulted. He will refer you to a specialist. The dentist will intervene at a later stage, in case of damage to the teeth.

The cracking jaw

Having a cracked jaw does not necessarily mean pain. However, if this becomes the case, the dentist will check that you do not have any dental problems before sending you to an osteopath.

How to treat your jaw pain

If you do not already have a known pathology (such as osteoarthritis), your dentist is the one to see. He will refer you to a specialist if necessary.

Never delay in seeking medical attention and make it clear that it is urgent so as not to wait for months, as the phenomenon tends to worsen if it is not treated quickly.

While waiting for your appointment, no chewing gum and no hard foods either. Mashed potatoes, soup and yogurt on the menu!