Sinusitis

Pain in the jaw under the tooth. Why can the upper and lower jaw hurt and what to do about it? Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the gums

Jaw pain when opening the mouth is a common complaint among people of any age. It is in vain to think that unpleasant sensations will go away on their own. The disease that caused them will progress if left untreated. This will lead to other serious complications, pathology of the temporomandibular joint, and other health problems.

Structure and functions of the TMJ

The TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, is a paired organ in which movement occurs synchronously. This ensures chewing functions and correct articulation. The joint is complex and subject to constant loads. Its structure and proximity to the nasal sinuses, ear and dentofacial apparatus makes the organ vulnerable to infectious lesions.

The lateral pterygoid muscles additionally participate in the movements of the jaw joints, which pull the ligaments, providing motor activity. There are several functions of joints, each of which is unique. These are frontal movements when opening, closing the mouth, and articulation. There are also movements to the side and vertically when chewing food, and sagittal movements to extend the lower jaw.

A healthy temporomandibular joint has the following structure:

ellipsoidal articular head of the lower jaw;
the articular fossa, divided in half by the petrotympanic fissure;
joint capsule - a durable shell of connective tissue (it protects the joint from bacteria);
tubercle - a cylindrical protrusion in front of the glenoid fossa;
a plate of cartilage tissue (disc) between the articular surfaces, thanks to which the joint moves in different projections;
ligaments that regulate movement: lateral, sphenomandibular, temporomandibular.

The structure of the human TMJ changes after tooth loss. The articular head gradually dissolves and reaches the state of a fossa. In addition, the posterior tubercle becomes flattened, which leads to limited mobility and impaired functioning.

Joint dysfunction occurs due to various situations that can disrupt the bite, lead to facial asymmetry, and jaw jamming.

The nature of pain and the mechanism of its occurrence

When it is painful to open your mouth wide, or it is completely jammed, this almost always indicates an inflammatory process, a violation of the anatomy and functions of tissues. The pain can spread to all areas of the face, shoot into the ear, cause migraines, and discomfort with visual strain. It can be different - long-term and short-term, aching and acute, which is taken into account when making a diagnosis.

Aching pain in the lower jaw accompanies the inflammatory process, and burning pain occurs with neuralgia. Cutting pain is usually diagnosed as a bone injury. People who find it painful to chew or open their jaws wide often blame pathology of the skeletal system as the cause. However, the disease can also affect surrounding tissues. If the patient ignores the pain, unpleasant symptoms will soon occur even with the jaw closed.

Under the influence of certain diseases, the jaw can jam and hurt on the left or right side. Pain on the left side may indicate poor circulation or problems with the blood vessels of the heart. Its right-sided nature is observed in neoplasms and inflammatory processes. If your jaw hurts everywhere and constantly, you can suspect an oncological factor.

It happens that the jaw cramps after sleep, and in the morning, at rest, cramps appear. You should not delay your visit to the doctor. Especially if the disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

spasms with fever;
throbbing pain with spasms;
severe pain radiates to any ear, eye (we recommend reading: what to do if toothache radiates to the ear?);
swelling;
mouth does not open;
it hurts to chew for a long time;
cramps in the lower part of the face.

When you open your mouth

Pain when opening the mouth is a consequence of a dislocation or fracture. If there has been no recent injury, these options are excluded. In this case, the cause of discomfort is osteomyelitis. Other pathologies that lead to sharp, aching or acute pain when working the jaws are dental diseases, among which caries ranks first. This also happens when dentures are installed incorrectly.

When chewing and closing teeth

If the jaw system aches, ache, bothers you when chewing or connecting teeth, you can suspect its dislocation or osteomyelitis. Other ailments that lead to discomfort when closing teeth include periodontitis, pulpitis, and complicated caries. When they exacerbate, the pain is pulsating in nature, radiates to the temple, and intensifies during moments of rest and night rest.

In the chronic form of pathologies, periodic aching pain is possible, which worsens with chewing load on the affected tooth or gum area. Certain foods and alcohol can also provoke unpleasant sensations when chewing. Leading to spasm of the esophagus, they also cause muscle spasm and jamming of the jaw.

Pressure

Pain in the cheek area when pressed has various causes. It can appear near the right or left side of the ears, or occur when palpating the upper or lower part. The cause of burning is often arteritis of the facial artery. With phlegmon, fistulas and abscess, the jaw will hurt even with a light touch at rest, and this symptom will be accompanied by others that cannot be ignored.

Pain when pressing on the teeth and gums indicates their pathology and dental problems. It often worries when there is abnormal eruption of a wisdom tooth, as well as accidental injury to the jaw.

Causes of pain in the jaw near the ear

Doctors often encounter patient complaints of pain in the jaw near the ear, pain in the ear when chewing. This symptom is not always associated with dental problems, and pain can be caused by the following reasons:

Pain in the jaw near the ear and temple is often observed due to carotidynia. This disease is similar to migraine, which is characterized by aching pain in the ear area, radiating to the lower jaw and eye socket. The pain is monotonous, but acute attacks occur that last from a couple of minutes to an hour. Carotidynia occurs when the temporal artery is dissected, a tumor in the area of the carotid artery.

Associated symptoms

Any discomfort when the mouth does not open completely, or the jaw hurts on the right/left cannot be ignored. Especially if it hurts a child. The accompanying symptoms will tell you that the pain is not random:

Diagnostic methods

If you complain of pain near the cheekbones when yawning, eating, or talking, a visual examination is performed. Afterwards, radiography, MRI, ultrasound, and ECG are prescribed (if heart failure is suspected). The disease is differentiated depending on the type of origin:

dental problems;
neurology;
pathology of the cardiovascular system;
ENT diseases;
injuries;
neoplasms.

Diagnosis of cardiovascular, bone and ENT pathologies is carried out on the basis of analyzes and examination data. X-rays and MRIs will help identify why the skin on the face or a tooth hurts, why the mouth cannot open, and identify tumors.

Oncology is much more difficult to diagnose. Tests for tumor markers, tomography and other modern methods help with this. Based on the diagnostic results, treatment tactics are selected, the duration of which depends on the degree of neglect of the disease.

Which doctor should I contact?

Which doctor will help if your lower jaw hurts? If it hurts to chew and the problem is in your teeth and gums, you should make an appointment with the dentist. After an injury, if the jaw joints are jammed or the mouth is not fully opened, you should see a maxillofacial surgeon.

Often the patient does not find the cause, and the discomfort progresses: the ear on the right, cheekbones, and the area near the neck hurt. In this case, you should consult a therapist. After the examination, he will tell you which doctor to contact, give a referral to an orthopedist, rheumatologist, neurologist, gnathologist, cardiologist, ENT specialist, gastroenterologist and other specialized specialists.

How to treat the jaw joint?

Analgesics will help relieve acute pain in the jaw joints. However, taking them will not solve the problem once and for all. It is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of the pathology, which becomes:

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for combating painful sensations when opening the jaw and pathologies of its joints are used as an addition to the main treatment. They will not help if your jaw is jammed, but they will relieve pain symptoms. After consultation with your doctor, you can use the following recipes:

Additionally, according to the doctor's indications, you can do therapeutic exercises. The set of exercises is something like this (repeat 5 times every day):

frown, then raise your eyebrows in surprise;
squint your eyes;
smile with closed lips, and then with an open mouth;
stick out your lips with a tube;
inflate and deflate cheeks;
relax your face, stroke your temples and cheekbones.

Pain when opening the jaw has many causes, which are not easy to prevent. Experts recommend avoiding traumatic sports, monitoring your diet, and promptly treating gingivitis, caries and other dental pathologies. You should be wary of hypothermia, infectious diseases, and stress, which have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system.

Pain in the jaw on the right is not necessarily associated with dental diseases, although this is what most people who feel such discomfort will think about. In fact, the causes of such pain can be diseases of the nasopharynx, tongue, gums, nervous system, and the muscles of the jaws themselves. These can be inflammatory and infectious diseases, injuries, diseases of the nerves and blood vessels, as well as tumors. We will try to help you decide why exactly the jaw on the right hurts, what to do and which specialist to contact.

A natural difference between traumatic pain will be the presence of injury itself. In this case, the bruise will manifest itself as severe pain, bruising, swelling and will go away on its own in a few days. A sign of a fracture on the right, in addition to pain, bruising and swelling, is a sharp increase in pain when moving the jaw and the inability to open the mouth. If the cause of the pain is a dislocation of the lower jaw on the right, the pain is felt in the area of the temporomandibular joint and lower jaw. At the same time, it is difficult to close your mouth, and the jaw itself moves to the side. In this case, you need to go to the emergency room.

If it occurs on the right side against a background of high temperature, it is most likely caused by the presence of a purulent focus in this area. If the temperature reaches 40C and above, the pain is pronounced and manifests itself not only in the jaw, but also under it (due to the involvement of the submandibular lymph nodes in the process), and the jaw area itself is significantly swollen, perhaps this is a purulent inflammation of the jaw bone -. The cause of such symptoms may also be on the right - a consequence of tonsillitis. You need to contact a surgeon.

The reason why the jaw hurts on the right may be pathological processes in the temporomandibular joint. Aching, constant pain, crunching and noise in the jaw can be a sign of arthrosis, or degenerative damage to the joint. In this case, the pain becomes stronger when moving the jaw (chewing, opening the mouth, closing the jaws), radiating to the ear, and in the morning there is stiffness in the joint. (arthritis) is very similar in manifestation to arthrosis, so only a dental specialist can determine the exact cause using x-rays. It will also help determine dysfunction of the right temporomandibular joint caused by malocclusion, inflammation or trauma. In this case, pain occurs when chewing, closing teeth and yawning, often on the forehead, cheek. When you open your mouth forcefully or abruptly, you may hear a clicking sound in the joint.

Chronic pain in the jaw area on the right side may indicate the presence of a tumor. Most often, the pain is aching, intensifying as the malignant tumor grows. The nature of the tumor, as well as its manifestations, can be different. Therefore, if you have been having pain in your jaw on the right for a long time, and the pain is getting stronger, there is facial asymmetry, tooth loss or chewing problems, be sure to consult a surgeon.

Teeth located in the right half of the mouth that are affected by pulpitis, as well as periodontitis, can radiate into the jaw. In this case, the main source of pain is in or near the tooth, and the pain itself is provoked by food (sweet, hard, different temperatures). And the dentist will help you.

Burning, boring, severe pain of a sharp nature, radiating to the right jaw, may be a sign of trigeminal neuralgia, namely its lower branch. Here you need to contact a neurologist.

The cause of pain in the area of the right jaw, or rather along its lower edge, often in the middle with irradiation into the orbit, may be inflammation of the facial artery. This cannot be done without the help of a surgeon.

Pain when chewing in the area of the jaw joint near the ear is familiar to many patients in dental clinics. Such a symptom may appear suddenly and be the result of discomfort that has been ignored for a long time.

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Why does discomfort occur in the jaw near the ear, and chewing becomes painful?

There are several standard causes of pain in the jaw near the ear. They can appear separately or in combination. Sometimes one painful condition turns out to be a consequence of previous ailments: for example, untreated caries can precede inflammatory processes in the gums and contribute to nerve irritation.

Neuralgia or arthrosis of the maxillary joint

Neuralgia is an inflammation of the nerve plexuses, which is the result of pathological processes in the surrounding tissues. Arthrosis is the thinning and degradation of the cartilage tissue of the jaw joint, requiring immediate measures to restore body functions.

Neuralgia is often unilateral. Discomfort occurs after complex extraction of a chewing tooth. A painful impulse can be triggered by brushing teeth, pressing on a problem area, the onset of a cold, or hypothermia. Neuralgia develops as a result of prolonged irritation of peripheral nerve endings during long-term treatment of dental pathologies.
Inflammation of the glossopharyngeal or trigeminal nerve often occurs as a result of demyelinating processes accompanying multiple sclerosis, Devic's opticomyelitis - in this case, neuralgia is considered secondary.
Post-traumatic conditions with nerve pinching are possible.
Hypothermia remains a common cause of nerve inflammation: you should take care of your face in the cold frosty wind, and washing your face with ice water is simply dangerous.
Malocclusion can also cause neuralgia or arthrosis of the maxillary joint.
Destructive processes and wear of cartilage tissue in the jaw joint, characteristic of arthrosis, can cause a lot of concern.

In parallel with pain during chewing and discomfort in the jaw near the ear, swelling or hyperemia of the skin may occur.

Simple traumatic injuries

Impacts without displacement of the joints of the bones of the jaw apparatus or with minor subluxation, bruising of soft tissue areas lead to temporary painful sensations during chewing. Sometimes such conditions manifest themselves as aching pain in the ear.

Caries

Often the cause of pain of unclear localization is advanced caries of the upper molars. It can develop in a tooth covered with an old, deformed crown; the damage is often invisible from the outside, but the destructive process inside the tooth has already started. The pain “spreads” over an indefinite area, and it is difficult to determine its underlying cause. It becomes difficult to chew, the jaw in the ear area hurts.

Appearance of wisdom tooth

This option is not excluded for young people. During teething, the dental crown damages the gums, creating significant discomfort. The pain can have different localization.

Pain as a result of wearing braces

During this period, the formation of the correct bite occurs. If there is significant pain, the doctor may loosen the structure.

Osteomyelitis of the jaw

The disease is characterized by changes in bone tissue and manifests itself with a variety of symptoms, including pain in the ear area. Sometimes sharp bursts of pain resemble otitis media. But osteomyelitis most often develops in areas of the lower jaw; only 25% of diagnoses occur in the upper jaw. This is an extremely dangerous disease!

Carotidynia

This is one of the types of migraine, the nature of its occurrence is little studied. Paroxysmal pain covers the upper jaw, surrounds the ear, then spreads to the face and other parts of the head.

Oncology

Tumors of various kinds can also provoke pinched nerves and other inflammatory processes. Therefore, you should not ignore the rolling pains that radiate to the upper jaw or ear and subside for a while.

Unilateral jaw pain: why does this happen?

Often pathological processes develop asymmetrically. Therefore, pain can only appear on the left or right side. Aches in the joint, discomfort near the ear on one side are characteristic of all types of neuralgia.

With arthrosis or primary dysfunction of the jaw joint, it is extremely rare that the destructive process involves both joints. The painful condition often occurs if a person constantly overloads one side.
The root cause may be improper prosthetics or lack thereof: after removing a tooth, the patient is often in no hurry to see an orthopedic dentist to install crowns or an implant. But a gentle attitude towards one part of the jaw apparatus provokes an unbearable load on the delicate little other joint. Then a loud cracking sound occurs when you try to open your mouth wider, and the jaw next to the ear hurts only on the left or right.
If caries develops, inflammatory processes cover the gum tissue, then the focus in 80% of all diagnosed cases is also located only on one side. The same manifestations are characteristic of the growth of the last - eighth - molars.
Injuries and manifestations of osteomyelitis provoke disorders only on the right or left. And wearing braces can cause symmetrical pain.

Completely unexpected manifestations are possible:

Pain in the jaw on the left may be a symptom of angina or a pre-infarction condition. Blood circulation is impaired, so vasospasm occurs.
The right side reacts sharply to standard stimuli.

If the cause is injury, then the pain will be either on the injured side or on the opposite side - the patient can spare the injured part and put an extreme load on the healthy jaw.

Pain when chewing

When pain impulses are noted during chewing, radiating to the jaw or ear, you need to immediately contact a dental clinic: formations in the form of boils, abscesses, and phlegmons are quite possible. Deep caries is likely, which destroys the tooth from the inside.
With burning, itching, and other unpleasant sensations in the temple area with separate weak symptoms in the ear and upper jaw, giant cell arteritis is likely - a pathology of the temporal artery.
If there is no periodontal disease, unhealthy teeth, or developing caries, then pain and crunching, clicking during chewing accompany jaw arthrosis. With weakened joints after serious strain of the facial muscles - singing, prolonged monologue - chewing becomes difficult.
When there are no symptoms at rest, and discomfort begins only with muscle tension or while chewing structured food, then the reason lies in the consequences of inflammation of the air-circulating sinuses.
Neuralgia of various kinds provokes painful manifestations not only during chewing. The patient feels some discomfort even at rest.
Pain of various locations when chewing, including in the designated part of the jaw, often occurs with inflammatory diseases of the lymph nodes, and some patients experience suffering during the chewing process in severe forms of tonsillitis.

First aid: how to temporarily relieve the condition

Since pain of varying intensity in the jaw area can indicate a wide range of diseases, self-medication is strictly not recommended.

If it is not possible to urgently visit a dentist, you can alleviate the symptom by making a compress from a dimexin solution: the pharmaceutical drug is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. This relieves pain and reduces inflammation in arthrosis or neuralgia.
For pain of unknown etiology, you can apply a compress of diluted alcohol (1 to 1 with water) plus a tablespoon of honey per 50 ml of solution to the cheek. A 10% mummy solution is recommended: soak a cotton pad in it and apply it to the sore spot.
It’s worth trying a delicious drink: a glass of warm milk, a teaspoon of buckwheat honey (can be replaced with another type), add mumiyo on the tip of a knife. Drink slowly, in small sips, retaining the liquid in the area of discomfort.
If you suspect gum or tooth disease, you should resort to antiseptic rinses. The oral cavity is disinfected with decoctions of sage or chamomile (standard - 1 tablespoon of raw material per glass of water). It’s easy to use the means at hand: a weak solution of soda or salt will relieve irritation.
An emergency solution would be to take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: Nimesulide, Diclofenac, Efferolgan, tablets or powders, are recommended. These medications are effective analgesics.
It is also possible to use a ready-made solution of Furacilin, Rotokan. Givalex or Angilex spray will temporarily numb the jaw. It is also worth relaxing your facial muscles as much as possible and opening your mouth slightly during an attack.

You can hold out for some time, perhaps a day, but the next day you should definitely consult a doctor.

How to make a diagnosis. Treatment methods

Usually, a similar problem is addressed to the dentist. If the doctor does not detect any pathology in his field, he will give a referral to a neurologist or a doctor of another specialty. Appropriate diagnostics are carried out and x-rays are prescribed.

A dental problem is eliminated in the office of a dentist-therapist or dental surgeon. Removing nerves, abscesses, and treating caries will help relieve discomfort. Resection of the tooth root is possible, several manipulations performed in several stages. Is pain of this nature explained by the peculiarities of installing dentures? The doctor will correct the design.

If an injury or dislocation of the jaw is diagnosed, the joint is reduced and immobilized for several days.

When neuralgia becomes the root cause of pain, a course of physiotherapeutic procedures is prescribed. Traditionally, ultrasound, electrophoresis and magnetic therapy are prescribed. “Smart ions” restore damaged cells, promote tissue regeneration and eliminate inflammation of nerve endings.

With initial arthrosis, it will be necessary to correct the molars, their height and shape, to bring the occlusion to symmetry on both sides. The restoration of the jaw joint will be helped by physiotherapy used to treat neuralgia, as well as by taking chondoprotective drugs. Artron complex, Teraflex, Condronova, Artra will contain chondroitin and glucosamine, which slow down the destructive processes in cartilage and accelerate tissue regeneration.

The diagnosis of arteritis is confirmed by blood tests and a biopsy of the facial artery. A course of cortisone treatment is prescribed.

You can't stand the pain! You should immediately contact a medical facility, find out the cause of the disease and begin treatment!

Jaw pain is one of the most common complaints in dental practice. But it is not always associated with diseases of the dental system. The symptom can also occur due to pathologies of the respiratory system, lymph nodes, cardiovascular system, inflammatory processes and neurological abnormalities.

Most often, jaw pain occurs due to injury. Its intensity and the nature of the accompanying symptoms depend on the nature of the damage:

Important! Sometimes jaw pain may return after the wounds have healed. It is caused by damage to the splint for fixing tissues and nerves, repeated fractures, improper healing or displacement of the bone.

Pain during dental treatment

Correction of the bite leads to displacement of the teeth. As a result, they become mobile, and pain in the jaw occurs. This is the standard state. It lasts for about a month while addiction occurs.

Important! Discomfort and unpleasant sensations for several days after prosthetics are also considered normal.

Pain after getting braces is normal.

Sometimes both the lower and upper jaw can hurt due to improper treatment. The symptom occurs due to incorrectly installed fillings and dental structures, which leads to changes in the bite.

Inflammatory diseases

With infectious lesions and inflammatory processes, it becomes painful to open the mouth, the temperature increases, swelling or a characteristic purulent formation appears. Such diseases include:

– inflammation of the bone as a result of infection entering through the bloodstream.
Abscess– local purulent tissue damage.
Phlegmon– an inflammatory process without clear boundaries.
Furuncle– an abscess on the skin or mucous membrane.

Neurological factors

This type of pathology includes damage to the nerves of the facial area, accompanied by disturbances in speech, chewing, and salivation. May become inflamed:

Important! Treatment of neurological pathologies should begin as quickly as possible. The longer there is no therapy, the greater the risk of not restoring the function of the facial muscles.

Neoplasms

Divided into two main groups:

Benign: osteoma, osteoblastoclastoma, adamantinoma. Accompanied by tissue compaction, changes in facial symmetry, and increased pain when chewing. All of them are subject to mandatory surgical removal.

Important! Benign tumors are asymptomatic for a long period.

Malignant: cancer, sarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma. Neoplasms grow rapidly and affect the joint, soft and bone tissues. In addition to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are used.

TMJ pathologies

They are characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of pain in the jaw, ear, clicking and crunching when opening the mouth, and stiffness of movements. The joint also loses mobility, which makes talking and chewing difficult.

Such diseases include:

Important! All TMJ pathologies are similar to each other. The exact decision on what to do in a particular case and what the treatment will be is made by a specialist after a thorough diagnosis.

Causes of radiating pain

Sometimes pain in the jaw may be associated not with damage to the TMJ, but with diseases of other organs and systems. They could be:

Carotidynia- a type of migraine. Radiating pain appears in the lower jaw, ears, and eye sockets.
Red ear syndrome– develops due to damage to brain structures.
Lymphadenitis– inflammation of the lymph nodes. Accompanied by increased temperature, fatigue, general weakness, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Sialolith and sialoadenitis– and their inflammation. In this case, the jaw often hurts when opening.
Arteritis of the facial artery. There is discomfort either at the bottom - from the chin to the corner, or at the top - from the wings of the nose to the upper lip.
Angina and heart attack. As a result of impaired blood flow, compressive sensations appear behind the sternum, radiating to the arm or, in an atypical course, to the face area. They will always be marked not on the right side, but on the left side.

Important! Submandibular lymphadenitis, sialolith, sialadenitis can provoke the development of phlegmon, abscess or affect the temporal joint.

Radiating syndrome also occurs with respiratory diseases (angina, pharyngitis, sinusitis, sinusitis), laryngeal tumors, otitis media, mumps - mumps. In these cases, it is accompanied by other symptoms: swelling of the mucous membrane, serous or purulent discharge from the nasopharynx, and fever.

Pain related to the jaw region brings a lot of inconvenience to a person, especially when it intensifies during communication or eating.

There are many reasons for their occurrence: dental disease, jaw injury, damage to nerve endings.

At the same time, the problem may be non-dental in nature, but indicate the presence of a certain disease.

To understand which specialist can help in this situation, it is worth paying attention to the nature and location of the pain.

Accurate and timely identification of the cause of pain when chewing food contributes to the correct diagnosis and provision of appropriate therapeutic procedures.

There are several large groups of factors that influence the occurrence of pain in the jaw apparatus.

Injuries

Mechanical injury to the jaw is often due to the following reasons:

Bruise caused by a strong blow or fall. The bones of the jaw apparatus retain their integrity, however, damage to the soft tissue occurs. When opening the mouth, pain occurs, a bruise forms and slight swelling of the damaged area of the skin. As a rule, all symptoms disappear within 2-3 days.
Dislocation. This situation is possible with a sharp opening of the mouth, yawning, laughing, or opening a bottle with the teeth. Pathology often occurs when a person has joint diseases. The dislocation looks like this: the lower jaw is fixed with a skew to one side when the mouth is open. To get rid of a dislocation you will need the help of a traumatologist.
Fracture of the upper or lower jaw. This problem is a consequence of mechanical trauma, such as a strong blow, an accident, or a fall from a height. There are fractures of both one and both jaws at the same time. In addition to acute pain, a fracture is characterized by the inability to chew, swelling and bruising.
Traumatic osteomyelitis. The main cause of this disease of the jaw bones is an untreated fracture, complicated by low immunity and the presence of foci of infection in the oral cavity. Often the cause of the development of pathology is an infected tooth, from which the infection spreads into the jaw tissue. Osteomyelitis is characterized by throbbing pain and increased body temperature.
Chronic subluxation of the lower jaw. This condition occurs as a result of certain actions, such as coughing, yawning, laughing, and is characterized by a displacement of the jaw forward or to one side. The situation is a consequence of stretching of the fibrous tissue surrounding the joint between the lower jaw and the socket of the temporal bone, as a result of the lack of proper fixation of the articulation of the bones.

Consequences of wearing dentures or braces

The use of various orthodontic structures designed to correct the bite may be accompanied by minor pain, especially during the adjustment period.

Such devices are located on the teeth and promote their movement relative to the dentoalveolar line, which leads to the formation of uncomfortable sensations. This indicates that the process of correcting a pathological bite is proceeding correctly.

Important! If pain when using orthodontic appliances increases over time and interferes with eating or communicating, you should consult a dentist.

Installation of prostheses to restore lost crowns can also lead to slight pain during the initial stages of their use. After some time, the pain will disappear.

If this does not happen, you should consult a dentist to eliminate the possibility of incorrect installation of the orthopedic structure and the presence of an inflammatory process.

Dental diseases

The presence of certain dental diseases can cause pain when chewing:

Pulpitis. The inflammatory process affecting the dental nerve is accompanied by the occurrence of paroxysmal pain, intensifying at night. In addition to the affected tooth, pain often spreads to the zygomatic, occipital region or to the opposite jaw.
Periodontitis. Jaw pain in this disease is acute in nature, which is characterized by an increase and pulsation with an exacerbation of the process. When eating and pressing on the jaw, the pain intensifies.
Alveolitis. The pain from the inflamed hole can radiate to the entire jaw, interfering with chewing food. In the absence of timely treatment, the disease can develop into the form of limited osteomyelitis, accompanied by purulent melting of the jaw bones.

Wisdom teeth eruption

The growth of molars is often accompanied by pain. This is due to the fact that the jaw is already formed and there may not be enough space for the growth of additional molars.

This can lead to the appearance of impacted or dystopic crowns.

The eruption of these molars may be accompanied by aching pain in the cheek area, spreading to the throat and ear, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and inflammation of the bones and muscles located in the area of tooth growth.

If you experience pain associated with the eruption of molar crowns, you should contact your dentist to avoid the formation of inflammatory processes due to their improper location.

Malocclusion

The pathological location of the crowns relative to the line of the dentition can cause pain during chewing. This is due to improper distribution of loads and the need to apply additional effort.

A pathological bite may be accompanied by pain when opening the mouth, chewing, talking, headaches, and spasms of the jaw muscles.

This situation requires immediate attention to the dentist, since if left untreated, it can lead to the formation of dislocations caused by weakening of the ligaments due to improper positioning of the temporomandibular joint.

Purulent-inflammatory diseases

An acute purulent process is another possible cause of pain in one of the jaws. The most common diseases are:

Osteomyelitis characterized by inflammation of soft and bone tissue. It is accompanied by sore teeth, spreading to the entire jaw, swelling of the face and its asymmetry.
Furuncle accompanied by the development of acute purulent inflammation of the skin. Often the focus of the disease is limited, but has pronounced pain.
Abscess most often develops against the background of mechanical damage to the jaw and concomitant infection. When the disease occurs in the upper jaw, difficulties in opening the mouth and swallowing are characteristic; in the lower jaw, pain occurs when chewing. Externally, the abscess is expressed in swelling of the submandibular triangle and distortion of the shape of the face.
Phlegmon. The symptoms of this pathology resemble osteomyelitis - sharp pain in the jaw row or under it, swelling of the face, fever. The area of inflammation in this disease tends to spread.

Tumors

Soreness of the jaw during chewing in the absence of any trauma or inflammatory processes may indicate the presence of a benign or malignant neoplasm in the body.

Often such pain is mildly chronic, regardless of the type of tumor.

The following types of tumors are considered benign:

adamantium characterized by an increase in the size of the jaw, which leads to difficulty and pain in the process of chewing food, which gradually intensifies as the tumor grows;
osteoma– a tumor that slowly grows from bone tissue and is accompanied by malocclusion, jaw deformation and limited opening of the oral cavity;
osteoblastoclastoma accompanied by a slight aching pain, which gradually grows, and with the increase of the tumor becomes incessant.

Malignant neoplasms include osteosarcoma and cancer. These diseases are accompanied by pain when pressing on the jaw, severe pain near the ear or in the neck area, and deformation of the jaw bones.

In this case, the area with the most severe pain can be found in the chin area.

Neuralgia

Damage to certain nerves can also cause pain that radiates to the jaw. This often occurs due to the following inflammations:

Damage to the ternary nerve causes sharp paroxysmal pain, which is concentrated on one side and intensifies at night. In this case, the pain does not extend to the back area of the jaw.
Inflammation of the superior laryngeal nerve accompanied by severe pain on one side of the submandibular region, which can move to the area of the face and chest. The greatest intensity of painful sensations occurs when chewing or yawning.
Key symptom neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal nerve– severe pain in the tongue, gradually spreading to the lower jaw and face. It usually occurs during communication or eating. The pain is paroxysmal in nature, lasts about 2-3 minutes, after which it subsides.
Carotidynia is a type of migraine caused by diseases of the carotid artery. The pain occurs in attacks and lasts up to several hours. It is usually localized on one side of the upper jaw, gradually radiating into the lower dental row, face, and ear.

Pain near the ear

Painful sensations when chewing, radiating to the ear, are characteristic of diseases of the temporomandibular joint - arthritis, arthrosis and dysfunction.

These joint pathologies can be caused by infection, hypothermia, high load, mechanical damage, or malocclusion.

Joint diseases of the jaw are characterized by incessant aching pain that flows into the ear area, discomfort and crunching when opening the mouth and chewing. In some cases, pain can spread to the entire face.

For more information about the causes of pain in the jaw joint, watch the video.

Diagnostics

To find out the cause of jaw pain associated with eating, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.

An examination by a dentist will determine whether these symptoms relate to dental diseases. In some cases, additional consultation with a neurologist, otolaryngologist or cardiologist may be required.

Treatment options

The method of eliminating jaw pain depends on the cause of its occurrence, established during the preliminary examination:

if there is a bruise, a fixing bandage is applied and compresses are prescribed;
a dislocation requires the jaw to be realigned by a traumatologist and a bandage applied;
acute purulent diseases are treated in a hospital setting with antibiotics;
in the presence of abscesses, they are opened and the purulent filling is removed;
carotidynia requires the prescription of painkillers and antidepressants;
pain caused by an impacted wisdom tooth is eliminated after its complete eruption, which is facilitated by a small surgical incision;
in the presence of neoplasms that cause pain in the jaw area, they are treated surgically using chemotherapy if necessary.

With the permission of the attending physician, folk remedies can be used as an addition to drug therapy. Here is one of them:

Place 20 grams of crushed coltsfoot and oregano herbs in a small container, add 500 ml of vodka and leave in a dark place for 3-4 days.
After this time, the tincture is filtered and used to rub the area with high pain.
The duration of such treatment should not exceed 10 days.

Therapeutic gymnastics also helps to cope with jaw pain. Orthodontists recommend performing the following exercises: