Jaw pain is a reality for many patients, but modern therapies and dental surgery solutions can effectively end this debilitating condition.
Knowing When to Visit a Dentist
If you feel an uncomfortable, throbbing pain in your jaw, you’ll want to schedule a visit with your dentist as soon as possible. Jaw pain may hit you all of a sudden, or it can gradually worsen over time until it is too much to handle. Your dentist will ask you to identify the exact symptoms that you’re experiencing. Is it a general soreness? A sharp stabbing pain in the jaw? Or possibly you wake up in the morning with jaw pain and can’t really pinpoint what is causing it. The specific symptoms will often point to a root cause that can be identified by our dental office. The first step in treating jaw pain is to schedule a visit with Dr. Rowen so he can examine the factors below when determining a treatment plan:
Grinding Your teeth
Severe damage can occur when you grind your teeth, which is one of the leading causes of jaw pain. Stress can cause teeth grinding, with the majority of individuals doing so while sleeping; they simply aren’t aware that they are inadvertently damaging their teeth and causing additional pain and stress on jaw joints. If stress is the main cause, seek opportunities to lower your stress levels by practicing calming and soothing wellness exercises and consider wearing a mouth guard at night to minimize the damaging effects of grinding.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
This condition, also known as TMD, affects the temporomandibular joint and can cause popping or clicking sounds during jaw movement. In more severe cases, TMJ can actually cause an individual’s jaws to become locked in an open or closed position. While TMD is caused by many factors, visiting our dental office for jaw pain and discomfort can help us determine the cause of your specific condition and the best available treatments.
General Dental Concerns
Other factors that can create a painful situation in the jaws include jaw and teeth misalignment, lack of bite balance, missing teeth, and uneven dental restorations. It is crucial to keep dental appointments to minimize the risk of developing any of painful conditions or letting dental issues progress to the point of affecting jaw health.
A thorough examination helps to diagnose all potential factors that can cause jaw pain. A bite alignment test also helps to screen for leading causes of both jaw pain and headaches. Dr. Rowen customizes treatment by inquiring about your levels of stress and how you manage tense situations, as well as how you’re sleeping and if you wake up with any jaw pain. We can also examine for any loose, missing, or damaged teeth to ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible.
For more information about how our Boca Raton dental office treats jaw pain, teeth grinding, and TMJ disorder,
contact our office to speak to our dentist or schedule your consultation
