It hurts!!!! Ouccch!!! Who do i see for this?

[Shanti]

For the last few days i've had a really sore jaw on my right side..... I haven't eaten anything really tough to make it sore and i haven't been punched in the jaw (not that i can remember??!?!?) and it's just so so sore!!

When i open my mouth up wide, and then close it, it KILLS! Like it feels mis-aligned or something...... who do i see for this sort of thing? A dentist? It's not tooth ache or anything..... and when i eat and chew normally it doesn't really hurt, but it's there iykwim and i am so uncomfortable....

It's making me feel miserable

[briggsy's girl]

difficult call Ren - i'd say go see your GP - there is a chance you have an infection of some sort - and sometimes ear infections can manifest as pain in your jaw... it might be a cyst or abcess (mine hurt like i'd been punched something shockin!)

if you still have wisdom teeth, it might be a flare up of that...

good luck getting answers

[Olive]

sounds like TMJ!! dont open your mouth wide, chew soft foods, nothing chewy or hard, its like a sprained ankle it needs rest!!

unfortuantly been pregnanat your cant really take anything other than panadol,

heres some info for you!

TMJ (Temporo-mandibular Joint) Syndrome is a disorder of the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles and tissues of the face. This joint connects the lower jaw (the mandible) to the skull in front of the ears. The joint moves every time chewing, talking, or swallowing occurs.

it may have happened when you chewed something the wrong way!

TRY ANY OF THESE SELF-CARE TIPS TO RELIEVE DISCOMFORT:


chew evenly, using both sides of the mouth
stop clenching, gritting, or grinding teeth
stop chewing gum
avoid hard chewy foods
apply heating pad or a warm wash cloth for a half hour at least twice daily
take aspirin, ibuprofen, or paracetamol to reduce pain and muscle spasm or
see a dentist or orthodontist for evaluation and care

id give its a week to get better otherwise see your dentist but to be honest it usually heals on it own

[Shanti]

Thanks girls

What's TMJ?? something something Jaw?

[Olive]

its the joint up near your ear, like the hinge for your jaw!! where the pain is!

here trying to explain it as simply as possible!!

Your temporomandibular joint (also referred to as your TMJ) is the joint just in front of each ear, where your jaw bone connects to your skull. Problems with the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMJ disorders.

give it time to rest!

[Janie]

Temporo-Madibular Joint And yes, it sounds like that's what you've got, TMJ disorder. Must dash now, but if it persists after looking after it yourself, head to the dentist and have a night splint made.

[Shanti]

Thank you girls you have been really helpful..... especially AJP!

Well, i've never heard of such a thing..... does it mean i'm prone to getting this often now? Or could it be a one off thing perhaps??

Ok i'll stop opening and closing my mouth wide as that is only aggrevating it

I'm going to get my heat pack now and see if that helps... its throbbing thank you

[AJC]

Ren, I had TMJ late last year. My dentist diagnosed it. I put it down to stress from my m/c last Sep. I stopped eating anything really chewy, even my morning muesli. I made sure that I ate nice & slow, took really small bites (like a mouse would have taken larger bites) and I would never eat anything where I had to 'open wide' like an apple or a hamburger. It persisted for around a month and is now fine. I didn't have to have a splint or anything like that. It was really painful though so I sympathise, I could have sworn I needed root canal or something it was that painful.

Oh - I also bought a new pillow too, one of those fancy ergonomic type ones. That seemed to help too.

For me it was a one off - I had never had it before and I haven't had it since.

[Olive]

im not going to say it woant happen again, it might not, but certainly can!

[Janie]

Ren, if you look after it for a bit it should settle down easily. Usually TMJD is caused by clenching and grinding (in your sleep usually) which in turn is caused by stress! It is very, very common, I can't tell you how many people I see walk in the door at work with TMJ problems. Usually it's easily resolved, but if not a night splint can work wonders. I used to have one a few years ago, and it was great. It also stops you from wearing away your teeth too much, if you're grinding alot.

Eating soft foods, NO opening and closing to see if it still hurts and using ice/heat packs will help. If it feels a bit out of alignment, there's probably some inflammation in the joint which can make everything feel out a balance, particularly when you bite together.

I hope it goes away soon, but if you're still really struggling in a week or so, then head off to the dentist. Good luck

[Shanti]

Thank you girls you have been really helpful! DH and i worked out that I must have this TMJ caused by me biting the inside of my mouth in my sleep!! I do it during the day too and i don't even know i'm doing it.... so yeah my jaw must have had enough and now i've brought this on!

DH was ready to take me to the hospital last night because he came home from work and i was crying (probably hormones too ) and he was really worried!
I didn't want to go though because i was worried they'd want to give me an xray and i don't want that because i'm pregnant...want to avoid all that. So we didn't go.

It seems a tiny bit better today probably because i'm not opening/closing wide and aggravating it further like yesterday!

Been eating small things and avoiding big mouthfuls..... also been applying my wheat heat pack that seemed to help.

DH thought it could have been my ear causing an infection perhaps cos' it's all related so he (he's a registered nurse by the way) flushed out my ear with a syringe with warm water and got some 'yellow cheese' out gross but that wasn't the problem in the end anyway but i got a good clean out..... haha!!

[Janie]

I'm sorry it's so sore for you hun! Unless you are worried that it's something else, I'd skip the hospital. Drs in general have no idea about dental stuff, and so you'd probably wait around for ages to be told nothing much LOL. If you do have to go to hossy though, don't worry about what they may/may not do. If it's not safe for you to have an xray, they won't do it. But they will always take precautions if it really is necessary to have an xray, and it's usually safe to do so.

Yeah, your DH is right, it is all related, and oh-so-close in there, so your ear infection will certainly make things feel alot worse around your TMJ. Glad he gave your ear a good clean out though LOL!

Keep us updated hun Hope it continues to get better.

[Olive]

hows it going ren???? hope its settled down for you!!
mines playing up now!! so annoying and painfull!

[Shanti]

thank you for asking AJP mine has gone! I stopped opening and closing my mouth wide and ate very carefully and after about 7 days it was gone.....

I'm sorry you're having trouble now, its so awful and uncomfortable
Rest up and no eating burgers and opening wide!

[Kristen Manallack]

Hi ... just thought i would add a little as TMJ dysfunction can be so painful.
TMJ dysfunction is often due to clenching the jaw when stressed or grinding teeth whilst sleeping as already pointed out. Headaches and Migraines are often associated with TMJ pain due to the temporal part of the joint being one of the cranial bones and also due to muscle attachments.
Posture can also play a role as an imbalance of muscle tensions can alter the mechanics of the joint resulting in the muscle and joint having to work harder than it really needs to!
If your still experiencing pain I would suggest getting some form of manual therapy. The muscles and joints of the jaw can still be treated like any other joint!

[Shanti]

Thanks Kristen for that helpful info! I never knew that. I'll keep that in mind for next time it happens (hopefully it doesn't come back!)

[2CheekyMonkeys]

or it could have something to do with grinding your teethovernight in your sleep....??

[Agentmolar]

I hope this info is of some use to you. This is advice I give to my patients when this seems to be a one off event, or we arent sure how bad the problem is going to be.

TMJ dysfunction, or myofacial pain sounds like what you are having. They often are used synonymously, but I find myofacial pain is more common, nothing too exotic myofacial pain means muscle face pain . Usually it afflicts people under stress, or with some jaw alignment issues. I often encounter it with patients who work on computer with poor posture ( Im catching myself hunching as i type this).

Ask your partner if he hears a grinding noise at night, or alternatively see if you catch yourself clenching hard during the day or when concentrating.

It often causes a cramp in the muscles of your face near either your temple/ lower jaw.

Trismus ( inability to open your mouth ) is a common problem when the muscles spasm.

Because a dental splint isnt a cheap investment, especially if this is a one off, I often recommend getting a cheap "boil and bite" mouthguard from the chemist and wearing this at night. Get a small childs one, and even trim it with some scissors so its not too bulky. If this works for you , and you dont mind wearing it at night, perhaps seeing your favourite dentist for a custom made splint. Its an investment, but a splint will last longer, and you know that you will actually wear it after spending the cash on it.

Also, considering that posture and stress can trigger this, a good massage of the neck with your physio/ masseuse can give relief and perhaps reduce a recurrence of symptoms.

Opening the bite tends to reduce the pain from the muscles and give some relief. Also it tends to cut the grinding reflex. We dont fully understand TMJ dysfunction, its actually considered a bit of a black art in the dental profession. Plenty of opinions out there. But i find this tends to give a conservative and inexpensive approach to most common encounters with it.

Hope that helps.