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The temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is the joint structure that we use most intensively throughout our lives and its function, physiological properties, the engagement of neurologic and hormonal condition of the body may lay the jaw joint to temporary or chronic pains open.
Together with being engaged in daily activities such as eating and talking, it is also relevant that the jaw has a quite complex mechanical relationship with the muscle groups surrounding the head and the neck area.
The condition of the teeth and the gums directly affects the jaw. Stress and experienced psychological tension also cause some other types of jaw squeezing such as squeezing the joints of the jaw, locking the jaw and gnashing the teeth.
Consequently, we start to experience jaw pain caused by various reasons. In addition to being a sign of many other health problems, the jaw pains that last very long, constantly increase or of stable intensity, may also be due to simple minor dental health related problems.
The jaw pain should not be ignored under any circumstances, the inducement that causes the pain should be found out and the necessary treatments should be applied.
These symptoms are considered within the concept of jaw pain: Pain, ache and movement restriction occuring on conditions of chewing, talking or yawning and that are felt on the base of the jaw, joints of jaw or along with the bones of jaw.
If the jaw pain is mild and continuous, it is not usually of much attached importance. When more severe pains that last for a certain time are experienced, this attracts more attention. We are dealing with recurring jaw pains that start and disappear abruptly since they are generally linked to teeth or the roots of teeth.
Since this also causes head and neck aches, the jaw pain may be kept in the background, so we may not notice that the main reason for the pain is rooted in the jaw joint. This draws attention to the fact that jaw pain is even more common than we suspect.
Clenching of the jaw during sleep is an extremely common case in adults, however, as it also causes headaches, the solutions are sought in the wrong places.
There are jaw pains of various characteristics that are felt in different parts of the jaw depending on the cause of the pain:
There may be various reasons such as deformations occuring on the joint of jaw for any reason, teeth, roots of the teeth or gum related problems, diseases on the soft tissues and joints for the jaw pain to be experienced.
Common causes of jaw pain may be as listed below apart from the trauma caused by an incident or injury:
Jaw pain can be accompanied by pain in the neck and shoulders.You probably clench your teeth at night if you wake up with a headache or have problems such as tightness on the joint of the jaw.
Especially in adults, one of the most common causes for jaw pain is stress related teeth clenching. This situation damages to the teeth, joint of jaw and the neck muscles if ignored
As the jaw is actually the bone that the teeth are lined up, jaw pain problems are treated in the field of dentistry. For starters, it should be determined if the teeth and/or roots of the teeth are causing this pain.
Consequently, in order to answer the question of which doctor to consult for jaw pain, we say that you should see a dentist.
The pain history plays an important role in the diagnosis of jaw pain. The dentist pays attention to the details such as the exact location of the pain, duration of the pain and the type of pain by asking questions to the patient.
The teeth and gums that are on the painful side are examined. If necessary, the roots of the teeth are examined using imaging techniques.
Other possibilities are evaluated in the case that the jaw pain is not rooted by the causes such as clenching teeth, grinding teeth, teeth decay, structural imperfection on the roots, inflammation, abscess, cyst or gingival diseases.
The dentist consults with rheumatology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology and psychiatry departments and tries to find a certain diagnosis by using various imaging methods and running tests in the case when the cause of the pain could not be found in the mouth.
Notwithstanding that unfortunately not being permanent solutions, exercises such as using pain killers, applying a cold or warm compress, messaging in order to relax the jaw muscles may help to ease the pain temporarily.
In some cases, the jaw pain stops on its own. If you have jaw pain that does not stop in a a few days or weeks, it is recommended to get an appointment with a dentist. The way to stop the jaw pain permanently is to get a diagnosis, find the reason for the pain and get administered the right treatment accordingly.
The condition that caused the pain is eliminated by applying the right treatment after the cause of the jaw pain is diagnosed.
The methods and approaches that are adopted on dentistry with the aim of applying the correct treatment are as below:
Jawbone tumors and cystic formations in the teeth roots may cause acute pain in the jaw. In this case, maxillofacial surgery is performed to remove the cyst from the jawbone.
Pain at the root of the jaw caused by ingrown wisdom teeth is one of the most common conditions causing pain, having structurally damaged teeth roots cause abscess and pain. Such dental issues that induce pain on the jaw come within the maxillofacial surgery area of expertise.
One of the main reasons for jaw pain is tooth decay, which reaches the root of the teeth. The nerves establish a connection between the jaw and the teeth get inflamed and this situation causes acute pain on the jaw.
In dentistry, there is an exclusive branch called endodontics that deals with these cavities. Root canal treatment involves treating the roots of the teeth that touch the jaw or cause pain.
Gingiva is the soft tissue of the jaw and it is also known that gingival diseases cause pain in the jaw area as well.
It is quite possible to get assistance from a periodontology specialist and cure the gingival disease that has been causing the pain, if necessary.
The jaw joint receives constant impacts, comfort in chewing decreases, the posture of the teeth gets out of order and various kind of pain may arise on the jaw in the cases that the jaw closure is not as optimal.
Orthodontics or maxillofacial surgery is performed under these circumstances. In some instances, it is also relevant to apply to these methods both at the same time.
Dental night guard is an impelling treatment that we apply very often for the purposes of eliminating jaw pain that is caused by clenching.
It is quite possible to eliminate the pattern of clenching and grinding teeth with the help of masseter that is applied by a dentist. By this means, the most common problem of jaw pain is treated with relative ease.
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