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4 Possible Causes of Jaw Pain

Your jawbone, also known as mandible, connects the temporal bones in your skull through a pair of joints. These joints are known as temporomandibular joints. The joints are in front of the ears and help to open and close the mouth. The jaw also holds your teeth and gums. Hence, you experience jaw pain if the bones are infected or due to any dental problem. Jaw pain can be severe sometimes affecting your ability to eat and speak. The causes of jaw pain vary; some of them are enlisted below.

1) Bruxism

One of the main causes of jaw pain is bruxism, also known as teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is a process of clenching teeth. People grind their teeth when they are stressed. Some people have the habit of teeth grinding when they are asleep and they are unaware of it. When teeth grinding is left untreated, it can cause several oral health problems. Dentists suggest practising stress-relieving exercise and using a mouth guard at night will help reduce the habit of teeth grinding.

2) Temporomandibular Disorder

The disorder is caused in temporomandibular joints that leads to jaw pain. The disorder can be caused if the jaw is injured due to some heavy blow. Arthritis and other conditions can also cause jaw pain, as they can attack the cartilage that helps to protect the joint. With the jaw pain, the disorder can also cause the jaw to make a clicking sound whenever you open or close your mouth. In some cases, the disorder causes the jaw to get stuck in an opening or closing position. Look for the symptoms of the temporomandibular disorder to cure it early.

3) Dental Conditions

Several dental conditions can lead to jaw pain like cavities or gum disease. These dental conditions don’t cause jaw pain directly. The damage caused to the teeth or gums spreads to the jaw and causes the pain. People who have teeth gaps can also face pain when stress is put on their jaw while biting or chewing. Dentists suggest keeping your oral health in good condition and visiting them regularly to identify any such problems.

4) Abscessed Tooth

An abscessed tooth is caused when the nerve or the pulp of a tooth is severely infected. The general cause is when the cavity is left untreated for a long time. The bacteria in the infection starts spreading to the roots of the tooth. It also spreads and affects the surrounding bone tissues, which can lead to significant jaw pain. Dentists suggest for regular check-ups and treating cavities as soon as possible to avoid abscessed tooth.

The jaw pain can be mild to severe according to the condition of your oral health. Make sure you keep up with your oral health and visit the dentist regularly. For the best treatment in Edmonton, visit us, our dentists can identify the exact cause of your jaw pain.