Jaw pain is a fairly common problem. You use your jaw joints a lot, so it’s no wonder that sometimes, wear and tear can take its toll. If you have pain in your jaw, we can help to make you feel more comfortable.
What causes jaw pain?
Jaw pain may result from an injury or it may be a sign of temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. The temporomandibular joint is the joint that connects the skull and the lower jaw. If you put your fingers on your face by the side of your ears and move your mouth, you’ll feel the joint working.
TMD is a term used to describe a range of symptoms that include clicking and popping noises in the jaw, stiffness, pain, and a restricted range of movement. There are various possible causes of TMD, but the most common is bruxism. Bruxism is the medical name for grinding your teeth. When you grind or clench your teeth, this can increase tension in the muscles around the joint. Bruxism can also cause headaches.
How we can help
If you’re experiencing symptoms including jaw pain because you’ve been grinding your teeth at night, we may recommend that you wear a bite guard at night. A bite guard is a custom-made device, which sits in your mouth while you sleep. It works by preventing contact between the top and bottom arches of teeth.
If you have jaw pain, don’t suffer in silence. Come and see us, and hopefully, we’ll be able to find a solution in no time.
