The saying is that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. When it comes to your mouth, you might not fully appreciate your jaw until it hurts, and you can’t comfortably use it. But why would you feel jaw pain on just one side of your face? What can cause this odd symptom? Keep reading to find out potential sources!
Tooth Problems
If one side of your jaw hurts especially when you bite down on food or you have something extremely cold, hot, or sugary, this pain could indicate that you have a dental issue like a deep cavity, a cracked or broken tooth, or an abscess (or bump in your gums filled with pus from the root of your tooth). These painful problems can make daily functions unbearable, and they will only get worse over time, which means prompt treatment is necessary to provide relief as quickly as possible. Most of the time, these types of problems involve undergoing root canal treatment, but if you wait too long, the entire tooth might be lost.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
Out of all the joints in the human body, the jaw joint, called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ, is the most complex. As a result, many things can go wrong with it, affecting your ability to eat, talk, yawn, or do anything requiring opening your mouth. For some patients, grinding or clenching their teeth during sleep puts pressure on the joint. An uneven bite can also create imbalance and hurt one side of the jaw more than the other. Fortunately, various solutions like a nightguard can keep the TMJ relaxed and your teeth from pressing against each other.
Migraine Headache
Migraine pain, especially facial migraines, can be mistaken for jaw pain, except it tends to feel more constant than other causes of one-sided jaw pain. Pay attention to when you feel bursts of pain as well as how your body responds to certain migraine medications to decide whether you should see a medical doctor for examination.
Ear or Sinus Infection
Due to their proximity to the ears and sinuses, the nerves near your jaw joints and upper teeth can become triggered if you have an ear infection or sinus infection. Whether you have congestion or not, you may feel extra pressure in your top teeth, particularly when you bite food or when you lie down. When it comes to problems with your ears, this pain can often be mistaken for jaw pain and vice versa. Sometimes, a fever accompanies jaw pain, but the most definitive way to determine the cause is to be examined and diagnosed by a trained professional. Should an ear or sinus infection be the source of your jaw pain, your best resource for recovery will be an ear, nose and throat specialist.
If you find yourself struggling with jaw pain on one side, know the professional you should turn to first. Typically, it can be difficult to get onto a medical doctor’s schedule. Unfortunately, they rarely leave room in their daily bookings for an urgent type of situation, but you don’t need to go to the emergency room and pay outrageous fees for something they may not be able to treat. Contact your dentist first! They can see you quickly and diagnose whether the issue is related to your teeth or your TMJ. If not, you can schedule other doctor appointments with more confidence that you’re on the right track.
About the Practice
Dr. Jason Parli and Dr. Alexis Gersten at Beach Dental are determined to help patients with their overall as well as their oral health. They accomplish this through both routine and complex technology and procedures. In addition to being useful for dental implants, they have a CBCT scanner, which can aid with diagnosing deep dental problems and TMJ disorders as well as guiding them to the right solution. If you have jaw pain on just one side, give us a call at 631-325-0731 or visit our Contact Us page here.