Pain in the jaw
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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If there was a pain in the jaw of any kind and duration, then it is no longer possible to postpone the visit to the dentist. In the event that you know for sure that there was a mechanical damage to the jaw, a trauma external or internal - then you need to go to an appointment with the maxillofacial surgeon. It is worth remembering that pain in the lower or upper jaw can result from various diseases. Some of them are quite simple to treat, others can cause a lot of trouble. In any case, you do not need to self-medicate, as this can aggravate the disease and complicate its course.
[Why does the jaw hurt?
There are two conditional divisions in order to determine what disease is signaled by this symptom:
- Primary causes of the occurrence of pain in the jaw (among such causes are most often inflammatory processes directly in the jaw, for example, ostiomyelitis)
- Secondary pain in the jaw indicates the development of diseases in other organs.
Primary pains in the jaw are within the competence of such doctors as dentist, maxillofacial surgeon, otolaryngologist. Secondary pain is studied to establish an accurate diagnosis of other doctors.
Primary pain can appear in such cases:
- Fracture of the jaw (unbearably severe pain, may be a consequence of bruxism - a disease in which a person involuntarily clenches his jaws involuntarily in a dream, which is accompanied by gnashing of teeth)
- Diseases of the teeth and problems with wisdom teeth (the consequences of tooth extraction, knocked teeth - this is a pain in the jaw that continues for a while, brown and pulpitis can also provoke pain in the damaged jaw)
- Infection and inflammation of the gums (periodontal disease, periodontitis, etc.)
- The formation of osteophytes (bony outgrowths around the jaw in elderly people)
- Arthritis of the mandibular joint and other inflammatory diseases of the jaws
Secondary pain in the jaw often indicates the development of such diseases:
- Sinus Infections
- Ear infections
- Viral parotitis ("mumps", due to which the cervical lymph nodes swell and the pain often radiates into the lower jaw)
- Rare diseases (scurvy, Cuffy's disease)
- Migraine, which is accompanied by involuntary contraction of the teeth from a headache
Actions for pain in the jaw
In the event that you feel a strong, sharp or dull, discomfort-causing pain in the jaw, you need to determine yourself a few points. First, remember, did you have a recent injury to the jaw, which could lead to a fracture. If such a misfortune has occurred, then you can not delay - you need to go to the maxillofacial surgeon. He will put a tire if necessary. This will help to avoid the loss of all teeth, as a result of a jaw fracture teeth begin to shift and fall out. If the injuries and mechanical damage to the jaw you did not have, then in this case you are waiting for reception at the dentist. It is necessary to examine the oral cavity and exclude possible diseases of teeth and gums, which can provoke such pain. In addition, sometimes a person himself can not determine that severe pain and even a reduction in the motor capacity of the jaws can be caused by the eruption of wisdom teeth. In the case of viral mumps, the therapist can help. Remember, you have not been overcooled recently. If, in addition to pain in the jaw, breathing through your nose is difficult, then the otolaryngologist should examine you for sinusitis. And if the pain in the jaw is a consequence of migraine, then you need to go to the neurologist. All diseases that cause pain in the jaws, in a neglected state, can be dangerous.