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Causes of pain in the jaw when opening the mouth. My jaw hurts. Pain under the jaw, pain radiating to the ear, inflamed jaw lymph nodes, pain when opening the mouth, jaw clicking. What to do with these symptoms? Diseases near the auricle

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1. Fracture

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The nature of pain and the mechanism of its occurrence

When it is painful to open your mouth wide, or it is completely jammed, this almost always indicates an inflammatory process, a violation of the anatomy and functions of tissues.

The pain can spread to all areas of the face, shoot into the ear, cause migraines, and discomfort with visual strain. It can be different - long-term and short-term, aching and acute, which is taken into account when making a diagnosis.

Aching pain in the lower jaw accompanies the inflammatory process, and burning pain occurs with neuralgia. Cutting pain is usually diagnosed as a bone injury.

People who find it painful to chew or open their jaws wide often blame pathology of the skeletal system as the cause. However, the disease can also affect surrounding tissues.

If the patient ignores the pain, unpleasant symptoms will soon occur even with the jaw closed.

Under the influence of certain diseases, the jaw can jam and hurt on the left or right side. Pain on the left side may indicate poor circulation or problems with the blood vessels of the heart.

Its right-sided nature is observed in neoplasms and inflammatory processes. If your jaw hurts everywhere and constantly, you can suspect an oncological factor.

It happens that the jaw cramps after sleep, and in the morning, at rest, cramps appear. You should not delay your visit to the doctor. Especially if the disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • spasms with fever;
  • throbbing pain with spasms;
  • severe pain radiates to any ear or eye;
  • swelling;
  • mouth does not open;
  • it hurts to chew for a long time;
  • cramps in the lower part of the face.

When you open your mouth

Pain when opening the mouth is a consequence of a dislocation or fracture. If there has been no recent injury, these options are excluded.

In this case, the cause of discomfort is osteomyelitis. Other pathologies that lead to sharp, aching or acute pain when working the jaws are dental diseases, among which caries ranks first.

This also happens when dentures are installed incorrectly.

When chewing and closing teeth

If the jaw system aches, ache, bothers you when chewing or connecting teeth, you can suspect its dislocation or osteomyelitis. Other ailments that lead to discomfort when closing teeth include periodontitis, pulpitis, and complicated caries.

When they exacerbate, the pain is pulsating in nature, radiates to the temple, and intensifies during moments of rest and night rest.

In the chronic form of pathologies, periodic aching pain is possible, which worsens with chewing load on the affected tooth or gum area. Certain foods and alcohol can also provoke discomfort when chewing.

Leading to spasm of the esophagus, they also cause muscle spasm and jamming of the jaw.

Causes of jaw pain when opening the mouth

Today, pain in the jaw joint is becoming more common, and in people of all ages, that is, there is a kind of negative trend. This may be due to:

  1. Microtraumas - due to accidental opening of the mouth too wide, blows, dislocation of the joint of varying severity and destruction of bone tissue can occur. Such injuries are often accompanied by numbness of the jaw;
  2. Malocclusion - in this case, a person automatically redistributes the load on the jaws, due to which the joints begin to deform and collapse;
  3. Neuralgia – disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and brain. So, this may be a lesion of the superior laryngeal nerve or glossopharyngeal nerve, etc.;
  4. A history of arthrosis and arthritis;
  5. Sharp tension of the mouth muscles while chewing food;
  6. Errors in surgical intervention in the oral cavity - at the dentist, etc.;
  7. Impaired blood supply to bone and cartilage tissue in the mouth area;
  8. Infectious diseases of the oral cavity;
  9. Inflammatory diseases of the ear.

But the most common cause of pain in the jaw joint is thinning of the surfaces of the temporal bone and lower jaw. Sometimes chronic pain in the jaw or near the ear indicates benign or malignant tumors.

Doctors often encounter patient complaints of pain in the jaw near the ear, pain in the ear when chewing. This symptom is not always associated with dental problems, and pain can be caused by the following reasons:

Dentists have to deal with inappropriate complaints when treatment near the ear hurts. But this orthodontist is not in all cases of cartilage associated with dental diseases. Dentist sensations in the jaw at the level of the yawn on either side can be caused by:

  • Diseases of the temporomandibular jaw,
  • Trigeminal neuralgia (maxillary neuralgia requires contacting a neurologist),
  • Necessity and infectious diseases of the salivary joints and maxillary sinuses,
  • Dental due to (wearing dentures, abnormal joints, diseases of the gums and teeth),
  • Temporomandibular diseases (osteomyelitis, periostitis, subluxation, abscess, furunculosis),
  • Malignant and temporomandibular neoplasms,

Diseases of the temporomandibular fast

There are constant main reasons for the appearance of swelling in the jaw area:

Why does a person’s jaw click when opening their mouth, how dangerous is it and what are its consequences. If the pain does not go away over time, you should consult a doctor.

With this disease, the jaw near the ear hurts on only one side. This effect is demonstrated by intense, prolonged pain near the ear, deterioration of the patient’s general condition – fever and headache.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes located in the lower jaw occurs simultaneously with the collection of infected lymph from the soft facial tissues, throat, nose and eyes.

It can be used both for diagnosis and to prevent tooth wear due to bruxism.

If your jaw hurts when you open your mouth, you should immediately contact. Most often, pain in the jaw joint is misdiagnosed as atypical facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia. Also, one of the causes of clicking of the temporomandibular joint in children is the proliferation of lymphoid tissue in the form of palatine tonsils or adenoids. The jaw bone is not damaged by such a blow: soft tissues take it over, forming a hematoma (bump) at the site of the injury, but when the jaw moves, the pain still radiates to the ear. This includes myofascial syndrome in the masticatory muscles, congenital malocclusion, an inflammatory process, and osteoarthritis of the joint. Doctors know hematogenous osteomyelitis and the more common one – odontogenic. In this case, the jaw hurts, as well as the joint, temple, cheek and even forehead. At the same time, it becomes difficult for a person to open his mouth, and with every movement. problems with opening the mouth, detects changes in the structure of the joint. As this disease progresses, the jaw bones and joints begin to ache with numbness. It is important to pay attention to the fact that in the absence of deviations from the norm, the lymph nodes are not palpable, do not hurt, and do not cause harm to the ear. It works correctly when the lower jaw moves synchronously in the joint on both the right and left - this is a symmetrical organ, therefore, if the work of one of them malfunctions, the work of the second also fails. After a strong blow to the facial area, or an accident, a fracture of the upper or lower jaw may occur. Dysfunction occurs in all age groups, and in general, people suffering from this pathology, according to various estimates, up to 70 percent.

In this case, the jaw hurts, as well as the joint, temple, cheek and even forehead. At the same time, it becomes difficult for a person to open his mouth, and with every movement.

problems with opening the mouth, detects changes in the structure of the joint. Open surgery is aimed at stimulating the regeneration of tissues and adjacent structures.

When a person experiences discomfort or the jaw hurts near the left ear and it hurts to chew, then it is worth paying attention to the nature of the discomfort. Muscles that perform the functions of chewing, swallowing and speech connect the lower jaw to the skull.

As for dentures, if pain is caused at the initial stage, when the oral cavity is just getting used to them, this is normal. At best, there will simply be no effect from such therapy.

It is partially possible to return the displaced disc to its normal position and remove the blockade of the temporomandibular joint. With this disease, the jaw near the ear hurts on only one side.

Before the main symptoms appear, the sensitivity of the nerve processes decreases, and significant numbness is noted. Arthritis develops against the background of dystrophic-degenerative processes or rheumatic diseases.

Attacks of pain in the jaw and other listed areas are often provoked by eating hot or, conversely, too cold food or cooling. This disease appears to be a type of migraine.

How to treat the jaw joint?

In order for the correct diagnosis to be made and the necessary treatment prescribed, you can contact a dentist, neurologist or surgeon.

Analgesics will help relieve acute pain in the jaw joints. However, taking them will not solve the problem once and for all. It is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of the pathology, which becomes:

When it hurts. temporal bone and mandible.

with the mouth wide open. A distinction is made between operations for the restoration and removal of cartilage, i.e. the articular disc, and so-called disc replacement interventions, such as interpositional plastic surgery using one's own or artificial tissue.

If washing the joint does not bring long-term effect, arthroscopic surgery of the jaw joint under anesthesia is indicated. For example, with the identification of the following diseases and the action of certain factors: When diagnosing a cyst, periodontitis or pulpitis, the necessary surgical intervention is performed.

Symptoms of this disease are numbness of the lower lip and decreased tone of the masticatory muscles. If jaw pain is caused by this disease, it is accompanied by a burning sensation and spreads from the chin and lower jaw to the upper lip, nose and nasolabial fold.

A characteristic sign of arteritis is pain in the area where the facial artery bends over the base of the lower jaw. These miniature instruments (eg scalpels, scissors or even laser probes) allow targeted removal of significant adhesions under digital visualization.

To achieve success in therapy, a set of measures is required: orthodontic treatment to correct the bite, surgery, dental retreatment, prosthetics, physiotherapeutic procedures, acupuncture.

Pain and discomfort in the temporomandibular joint can also be caused indirectly. The sound made by the jaw can be heard by others.

Painful sensations near the organ of hearing can appear as a result of a benign tumor (atheroma), which manifests itself as a lump behind the ear and is a consequence of an enlarged cervical lymph node; when palpated, it resembles a dense, moving ball.

It is this apparatus that allows our jaw to move left and right, open and close the mouth, and extend the lower jaw.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for combating painful sensations when opening the jaw and pathologies of its joints are used as an addition to the main treatment. They will not help if your jaw is jammed, but they will relieve pain symptoms. After consultation with your doctor, you can use the following recipes:

Additionally, according to the doctor's indications, you can do therapeutic exercises. The set of exercises is something like this (repeat 5 times every day):

  • frown, then raise your eyebrows in surprise;
  • squint your eyes;
  • smile with closed lips, and then with an open mouth;
  • stick out your lips with a tube;
  • inflate and deflate cheeks;
  • relax your face, stroke your temples and cheekbones.

Pain when opening the jaw has many causes, which are not easy to prevent. Experts recommend avoiding traumatic sports, monitoring your diet, and promptly treating gingivitis, caries and other dental pathologies.

You should be wary of hypothermia, infectious diseases, and stress, which have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system.

Many people experience pain in the jaw area when opening their mouth or when chewing. The reasons for this phenomenon can be varied. Often, painful sensations in the jaw can appear due to traumatic injuries to the maxillotemporal joint, inflammation in the trigeminal or facial nerves, gum pathologies and dental diseases. Quite often the ear and temple are involved in the pathology. Let's look at the main causes of pain in the jaw.

Why does my jaw hurt when I open my mouth and chew?

Traumatic disorders

Most often, damage to this area of ​​the skeleton occurs as a result of a car accident, a fall, or a strong blow to the jaw. So, with a bruise, swelling of the bruised area, pain when touched, and hemorrhage may be observed. Discomfort from a bruise will intensify when you try to open your mouth or chew food, and may radiate to your ear. Within 4-5 days, symptoms may decrease and disappear.

Subluxations or dislocations of the temporomandibular joint are also possible. In this case, normal closing of the mouth is impossible, and chewing even very soft food causes sharp pain. In some cases, the jaw crunches when moving without causing significant pain. The patient feels a shift of the jaw to one side. In this case, only a traumatologist will help get rid of the problem.

The most dangerous jaw injury is a fracture. The pain is intense and constant; there is significant swelling and areas of bruising in the area of ​​injury. With complex and numerous fractures, the jaw crunches in several places, which is accompanied by severe pain. An early visit to the doctor will undoubtedly speed up the healing process. However, even the most favorable outcome requires long-term care and treatment.


The most dangerous jaw injury is a fracture

Dental disorders

Pain in the jaw when moving can be caused by dental problems such as periodontitis, pulpitis, inflammatory lesions of the dental nerves. With these pathologies, the pain has a pulsating, aching character, discomfort increases at night, when chewing and freezing. There may also be numbness of the soft tissues around the jaw, headaches, and the ear may also become inflamed.

Advanced pulpitis or caries can become a trigger for the formation of odontogenic osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis involves damage to the jaw bone of an infectious nature. This disease can be manifested by high body temperature, severe redness of the skin over the affected area, and general weakness. Pain may also be felt in the ear. This disease is diagnosed by a dentist and confirmed by a general blood test and an x-ray of the lower jaw. The slightest suspicion of the presence of osteomyelitis requires immediate contact with a specialist. If left untreated, the infection can easily involve the brain in the pathological process.

A common cause of jaw pain is the eruption of wisdom teeth. This process can cause a lot of painful sensations in the jaw, and possibly in the ear, which is associated with inflammation of the adjacent tissues, and sometimes pathological ingrowth of the tooth.


Jaw pain may be caused by dental problems

Neurological disorders

Pain in the jaw area can be caused by inflammation of the nerves. Neuritis most often occurs as a result of hypothermia or exposure to a draft. Trigeminal neuritis is accompanied by boring and burning pain in the jaw on one side (right or left) and in the face as a whole, which becomes more intense at night, when the affected area cools and when opening the mouth. Neuritis of the superior laryngeal nerve is manifested by intense pain in the area of ​​the right or left half of the lower jaw. With neuritis of the glossopharyngeal nerve, the patient complains of intense pain in the thickness of the tongue and tissues under it, radiating to the jaw. Treatment of neuritis may include nonsteroidal drugs, analgesics, decongestants, and, if necessary, antibacterial and antiviral medications are also included. A good effect can be obtained if the pathology is treated not only with medication, but also using physiotherapy.

Facial artery lesion

Damage to this vessel of an inflammatory nature (arteritis) causes pain and a burning sensation along the artery, and numbness of the soft tissues of the chin, cheekbone, and upper lip is observed. Treatment of this pathology should include glucocorticoids and cytostatics.

Impaired functionality of the maxillotemporal joint

Such disorders are associated with damage to the masticatory muscle, which is the connecting link between the lower jaw and the skull. Violation of the functional abilities of the jaw can be caused by an incorrect bite or hypothermia, wide opening of the mouth or intense chewing movements. Pain in the jaw near the ear (near the joint) radiates to the temples and cheeks. Any movement in the affected area may be accompanied by a clicking sound or discomfort. Treatment of jaw dysfunction requires a competent and comprehensive approach.


Dysfunction of the maxillotemporal joint is also one of the causes of pain

Carotidynia

This pathology is considered a form of migraine. In this case, throbbing pain in the jaw area occurs for no noticeable reason and disappears on its own, sometimes it radiates to the ear and temple.

Osteogenic sarcoma

Sarcoma is a malignant bone formation. One of the earliest signs of this pathology in the jaw joint is pain during chewing or opening the mouth. The ear can also be involved in the pathological process, which is explained by its close location. Treatment of this disease should be carried out under the supervision of an experienced oncologist.

What to do if your jaw hurts?

Most pathologies that cause pain in the jaw joint or the jaw itself require competent medical care. A sore ear can also indicate possible damage to the maxillotemporal joint and jaw. Only a doctor can prescribe the necessary research methods and figure out why the jaw and ear hurt. That is why it is so important to seek help in a timely manner, with the appearance of the first signs of pathology. It is considered unacceptable to make any attempts to eliminate problems in these cases. An illiterate attempt to get rid of the problem can seriously aggravate the disease and the general condition of the patient.

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What to do if your jaw hurts when you open your mouth and when you chew: probable causes of pain and ways to eliminate it

Popularly, the articular organ consisting of the lower and upper jaws, connected by the temporomandibular joint, is called the “jaw.” Often people turn to dentists because of characteristic pain and crunching in this area. Pathology occurs for many reasons; it is important to identify them in time and cope with the problems.

Pain accompanies the patient while chewing food as a result of jaw movement and pressure on it. Unpleasant sensations are most often localized on the left or right side, less often on both simultaneously. The process cannot be started; the lack of proper treatment is fraught with serious complications.

Do not underestimate the problem; be sure to visit a dentist. Sometimes pain in the jaw area signals the progression of serious diseases that require the attention of a specialist.

Correctly identifying a specific illness that results in pain in the jaw obliges the doctor to find the cause of the pathology. Accurate diagnosis and the help of a qualified doctor are the key to a positive outcome of the disease, and the risk of complications is minimized.

There are many causes of acute pain; for convenience, doctors divided them into several groups, according to the main diagnostic criterion. Thanks to the classification, you will quickly understand the possible factors that influenced the development of the pathology. A clear clinical picture facilitates diagnosis and speeds up the treatment process. The following groups are considered the most common causes of pain in the jaw area.

Various injuries

Mechanical damage is easily confused with manifestations of other diseases. Injury can be determined in the presence of obvious pathology only with the help of a qualified specialist. There are several types of injuries:

  • dislocation - caused by a sudden movement of the joints;
  • fracture - occurs after severe mechanical trauma, the pathology refers to the upper, lower jaw, sometimes to both at once;
  • bruise - the damage is not severe enough for a fracture, but the characteristic symptoms are similar to a serious problem.

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Purulent-inflammatory diseases

  • Osteomyelitis. The disease is characterized by an inflammatory process and the appearance of a large amount of pus. Bone tissue is affected, the disease appears as a result of injury, infectious dental disease without proper treatment.
  • Furuncle. Doctors mean a fairly large formation with pus in the soft tissues. Usually the problem is visible immediately, although the center of the boil is under the skin. The formation can reach enormous sizes, as a result of which it puts pressure on the nerve endings, causing pain.
  • Phlegmon, abscess. Both complications pose a huge danger to human health. An abscess is characterized by a closed focus of inflammation; without proper treatment, phlegmon spreads further through the blood vessels, affecting more and more tissues. A mandatory symptom is the appearance of sharp pain in the jaw area.

Important! The above problems require immediate doctor intervention.

Orthodontics and the consequences of wearing braces or dentures

Dental structures for correcting dental problems in most cases cause mild pain when worn. The process is connected with the correction of the bite; roughly speaking, braces and various other devices are designed to change the formed position of the teeth in the jaw.

Before installing dental products, the doctor must warn the patient about possible discomfort. The phenomena are often temporary and are considered the norm. Doctors consider discomfort to be a sign of proper orthodontic installation. The pain appears due to the displacement of the dentition in the desired direction, the correction of the bite; previously this state of affairs was not typical for this person - hence the discomfort.

Similar symptoms accompany the patient immediately after installation of a removable denture. It takes a person a little time to get used to it, after a few weeks the pain subsides, and eventually goes away completely.

Sometimes the cause of jaw pain lies in a congenital disorder of the jaw structure (bad bite). The patient often suffers from discomfort while chewing food. Unpleasant symptoms indicate an urgent need to visit a doctor; only an experienced specialist will carefully study the problem and prescribe an appropriate solution.

It is impossible to correct a malocclusion on your own. No folk remedies will help solve the problem; visit the dentist in a timely manner to avoid complications.

Neoplasms

Tumors can be benign or malignant. Contact a specialist. The pathological process occurs with mildly expressed symptoms, which is typical for various formations.

Benign tumors are divided into several groups:

  • osteoma - sharp discomfort appears at the beginning of the appearance of the tumor, as it grows the pain intensifies;
  • adamantioma – pathology provokes a noticeable increase in jaw size, which leads to discomfort during meals. Initially, the symptoms are mild, but the discomfort intensifies over time;
  • osteoblastoclastoma - characterized by an almost asymptomatic course, aching pain over time develops into acute sensations that are difficult to tolerate.

Malignant formations are also divided into several groups. It is impossible to independently distinguish a benign tumor from a “bad” one: the symptoms are too similar. Often the problem is localized in the lower jaw; malignant types include sarcoma, cancer, and osteogenic sarcoma.

Pain near the ear

Painful sensations accompany every meal, and there is a high probability of discomfort in the ear area. Symptoms characteristic of such diseases: arthritis, arthrosis, sometimes the problems are confused with otitis media (inflammation of the ear can radiate to the jaw area).

Painful sensations are a signal to action; advanced cases lead to complete immobilization of the jaw. Diagnosis in such cases is difficult; the doctor performs x-rays to identify the exact cause.

Neuralgia

Often discomfort is caused by neuralgic problems. A pinched nerve for any reason leads to pain in the jaw; the pathology manifests itself especially sharply during meals. Damage to the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, and superior laryngeal nerves leads to sharp pain, increased salivation, discomfort also manifests itself during yawning and blowing your nose.

In any case, pinching requires immediate intervention. Over time, the pain will increase and irreversible consequences will begin to occur.

Infrequent causes of pain include:

  • bruxism (inability to clench the jaw during sleep; the patient is characterized by grinding, which causes problems with proper bite);
  • advanced caries. The infection spreads in the oral cavity, causing inflammation and pain in the jaw area.

Diagnostics

It is often difficult to identify the cause of pain. The patient comes to the doctor with severe discomfort; the course of many ailments is similar in symptoms. Many specialists are involved in making the correct diagnosis: they conduct a thorough examination of the oral cavity, talk with the patient, and carefully study complaints. Additionally, the results of radiography, computed tomography, and MRI are used.

Methods and methods of treatment

Each specific ailment requires a special approach; a detailed treatment plan depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. Advanced cases require surgical intervention.

In some cases, the problem will disappear after the elimination of dental problems, for example, treatment of caries, correction of bite, replacement of dentures and other useful manipulations. Physiotherapeutic procedures provide excellent results.

Correction of TMJ defects is accompanied by treatment with anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medications. It is prohibited to prescribe any medications on your own; only use medications prescribed by your doctor.

How to relieve the condition at home

Unconditional adherence to the following rules will help to significantly alleviate the condition or completely eliminate the pain syndrome:

  • stop chewing gum;
  • eat exclusively soft foods (soups, various cereals, finely chopped lean meats are excellent);
  • try to strain your jaw as little as possible: do not open your mouth wide;
  • A hot compress relieves pain. Just apply a bottle of warm water to the sore spot, after a few minutes the discomfort will begin to subside;
  • in case of inflammation, a hot compress is contraindicated; use cold, no more than 15 minutes. Between treatment procedures, take a break of at least one hour;
  • Decoctions of calendula, nettle, chamomile, and sage will help relieve pain. It is allowed to take mild painkillers (no-spa, Spazmalgon and others);
  • For bruxism, use a special mouth guard; the product protects the teeth from abrasion and relieves pain in the jaw area.

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Therapeutic gymnastics drives blood into the jaw area and helps reduce pain:

  • Move your jaw from its natural position to the left - to the right up to 10 times.
  • Place the brush on your jaw and push it away until it stops. Resistance trains muscles, develops them, and relieves pain.

It is advisable to prevent diseases of the maxillofacial system by following a number of simple rules:

  • consult a doctor promptly for treatment of dental problems;
  • the occurrence of infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract - treatment is mandatory;
  • toughen up, lead a healthy lifestyle, improve your immunity.

It is important to be careful about your health; failure to follow simple rules leads to frequent pain in the jaw area and other complications. If pathology does manifest itself, immediately visit the dentist’s office; only an experienced specialist will solve the problem.

Video about the causes and methods of treating pain in the jaw joint:

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The jaw hurts when opening the mouth and when chewing: treatment

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The unpleasant sensation that the jaw hurts when opening the mouth can bring significant discomfort to a person’s life, making it difficult to eat and speak. This symptom may indicate the presence of various diseases, so you should contact a medical facility to eliminate the pain. Depending on the type of disease, consultation with a dentist, surgeon, neurologist and other specialists may be required. A medical examination will determine the pathology and prescribe effective treatment.

Anatomical and functional features of the jaw

The facial skeleton includes the upper and lower jaws. The upper one is paired - it consists of two bones, has four processes and a body containing an air sinus inside. The lower jaw is unpaired; its mobility is ensured by the temporomandibular joint. Teeth and muscles, which are attached to the surface of bone tissue, are involved in the process of chewing food and pronouncing sounds. Jaw movements are carried out using the temporomandibular joint. Some diseases lead to the appearance of pain, a characteristic click when opening the mouth.

Sometimes pain occurs when pressing on the jaw and is felt on one side or both at the same time. Pain may be due to bone damage or joint disease. In some cases, for example, with cardiac pathologies, it can radiate to the jaw, resulting from disturbances in the functioning of other organs. Intense pain is observed when the jaw bones are fractured or the joint is damaged. In such cases, the patient cannot even open his mouth. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help to avoid serious complications and deterioration of your health.

Factors contributing to jaw pain

All causes of pain in the jaw area are conventionally divided into several main groups. When diagnosing a disease, the clinical picture is taken into account. Treatment at an early stage of the disease greatly contributes to the success of its cure.

Tissue damage due to trauma

Jaw injuries can be caused by falls, blows during sports or street fights, injuries received during transport accidents, and accidents. The most common types of injuries are bruises, dislocations, and fractures.

Dislocations (subluxations)

The cause of dislocation of the jaw joint is sudden movements. Sometimes it occurs when the mouth is opened wide; people who open bottles with their teeth are at risk of getting it. During a dislocation, the head of the lower jaw bone changes its position, leaving the articular fossa. The patient feels sharp pain in the jaw joint, cannot open or close his mouth, and his speech is difficult to understand.

Visually, the jaw can be shifted to one side or pushed forward. To reduce the dislocation, it is necessary to use the help of a traumatologist.

Bruises

While bone integrity is maintained, soft tissue damage occurs. Swelling and hematoma appear at the site of the impact; in some cases, it is painful for the patient to open his mouth, and it is difficult to chew food. The condition improves without special treatment, and after about 5 days the symptoms disappear.

Fractures

Fractures cause the most severe damage. There is severe pain, unnatural mobility of the jaw bones, often the patient cannot open his mouth, and there may be asymmetry of the face on the right or left side. Swelling in the lower part of the face increases, sometimes the site of a bone fracture is clearly visible, and hematomas appear as a result of bleeding. Treatment and restoration of damaged tissue takes a long period of time. Timely access to a medical facility will help avoid wound infection and associated complications.

Diseases leading to tissue inflammation and pus formation

Such pathologies include the predominant part of dental diseases. An infection, often bacterial, less often viral or fungal, takes part in the development of the inflammatory process in the oral cavity.

The most common purulent diseases are:

  1. Boils. The disease occurs as a result of infection penetration into the hair follicle located in the skin through the damaged surface of the epidermis. The inflammation gradually spreads to the deeper soft tissues, pus forms in them, which causes pain due to compression of the nerve endings.
  2. Osteomyelitis. The disease is very dangerous and requires immediate treatment, since inflammation affects not only soft tissues, but also bones, including bone marrow. The cause of the disease odontogenic osteomyelitis is the penetration of infection from teeth affected by periodontitis, purulent cysts in the area of ​​dental roots, and direct entry of bacteria from the oral cavity during injuries and burns. The hematogenous form of the disease develops when pathogens are carried through the bloodstream. Symptoms of osteomyelitis: jaw pain, increased body temperature, chills, enlarged lymph nodes, the face swells, takes on an asymmetrical shape, and headache and toothache may occur.
  3. Abscesses and phlegmons. Both types of inflammatory processes are accompanied by tissue swelling, the formation of a large amount of pus, and severe pain. If they appear, you should immediately seek medical help. With an abscess, the focus of inflammation is closed, with phlegmon - diffuse. There is a danger of its spreading to new areas with the appearance of life-threatening complications. The patient's body temperature rises, his jaw hurts when opening his mouth, and it is difficult for him to chew and swallow. There is general weakness, headache, and possible tissue necrosis at the site of inflammation.

Installation of dentures and structures that provide bite correction

Patients may experience some discomfort after installing various structures to strengthen or replace damaged teeth, while wearing braces. This soreness is usually temporary and is considered normal. The jaw can also hurt if there are disturbances in its structure, leading to the formation of a malocclusion. There are methods to correct it and eliminate pain.

Various types of neoplasms

Pain in the jaw when chewing may be associated with tumor formation. Since the symptoms at the initial stage of the disease are mild, patients often seek help at later stages of the development of the pathological process. Benign neoplasms include adamantium, osteoma, and osteoblastoclastoma.

Malignant tumors are divided into the following groups:

  • sarcomas formed from connective tissue;
  • cancers - develop from epithelial tissue;
  • osteogenic sarcomas - originate from bone tissue and usually affect a specific type of bone.

Malignant neoplasms most often occur in the lower jaw. These types of tumors pose a particular danger to life and health, characterized by rapid growth and spread of metastases to other organs.

To diagnose diseases, radiography, computed tomography, and morphological studies of tissue samples are used.

Diseases in which pain in the jaw is noted near the auricle

There are a number of diseases in which the jaw may hurt in areas bordering the ear. Often this symptom occurs with arthritis - an inflammatory process in the jaw joint, the intensity of pain in which increases at night, and arthrosis - pain is caused by age-related changes and increases with physical activity, subsiding at rest. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out using radiographic examination. Timely treatment allows you to avoid immobilization of the jaw.

Neurological diseases

Neurological causes of jaw discomfort include neuralgia and bruxism. The first disease manifests itself when one of the nerves providing innervation to the face is pinched - trigeminal, superior laryngeal or glossopharyngeal. The pathology is accompanied by sharp pain, the intensity of which increases when eating food, increased salivation, and unpleasant sensations are also noted when blowing the nose and yawning. It is necessary to begin treatment at the initial stage of the disease to prevent the situation from worsening due to irreversible changes in tissues.

Bruxism is a disease in which involuntary clenching of the jaws and grinding of teeth occurs. It is usually caused by stress or nervous system disorders and is often found in people with malocclusion. Periodically repeated attacks lead to abrasion of dental dentin, inflammatory processes in tissues, changes in joints, causing pain. Relieving nervous tension through relaxation exercises and massage can reduce the frequency and severity of bruxism symptoms. Special day and night splints selected by your dentist will help protect your teeth and joints.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood vessels

Pain in the lower jaw and neck can occur during acute myocardial infarction. This is a life-threatening condition that causes necrosis of the heart muscle. The main causes of the disease are spasm of the vessels supplying the heart with blood, closure of their lumen with atherosclerotic plaques or a blood clot. The development of a heart attack is indicated by the following symptoms: pain in the chest area lasting more than 15 minutes, which does not go away even when taking nitroglycerin and painkillers, the patient has difficulty breathing, and sweating increases.

Irradiation of heart pain from the sternum to the jaw sometimes occurs during attacks of angina pectoris - spasm of the coronary arteries, leading to insufficient oxygen supply to the heart muscle. If symptoms of cardiac dysfunction appear, immediate medical attention is required.

Severe pain in the jaw near the ear, wings of the nose, or extending into the eye socket is characteristic of arteritis - inflammation of the walls of the arteries. When large vessels are affected, pain can be observed over a large area of ​​the face and neck.

What else can cause jaw pain?

Pain sometimes occurs for a number of other reasons. Qualified specialists will help you understand their origin. Rarely encountered causes of pain include:

  1. Tetanus - a disease accompanied by muscle cramps and difficulty swallowing. If symptoms of pathology appear, you must immediately contact a medical facility. Antitetanus serum is used to treat the disease.
  2. Carotidynia is a type of migraine. Pain occurs during attacks, the duration of which can reach 1 hour. They spread to the lower jaw, ear area, and eye sockets.
  3. Red ear syndrome - usually develops with damage to the thalamus, cervical spondylosis.
  4. In children, pain in the jaw area occurs due to mumps (mumps) and disturbances in the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium in the body.

Therapeutic measures

Therapeutic tactics depend on the type of disease and are aimed at eliminating the cause of the pathology and relieving pain. Cold compresses are used to treat bruises, dislocations are reduced, and surgical intervention may be required to align bone fragments in fractures. In case of purulent diseases, abscesses are opened to remove the pus, and a course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed.

Painkillers and antidepressants are used to relieve the symptoms of carotidynia. In case of myocardial infarction, urgent hospitalization of the patient is necessary with the prescription of thrombolytics, drugs that normalize blood pressure, prevent blood clotting, and narcotic analgesics.

In case of inflammatory processes in teeth and periodontium, oral cavity sanitation is carried out. For neoplasms, surgical or combined treatment is used, supplemented by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Your health Dislocation of the lower jaw Dislocation of the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. Clinic "Academic Dentistry" Temporomandibular joint. Elimination of dysfunction during correction of skull bones

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Where does pain in the jaw joint come from when chewing?

It's no secret that by taking care of your health and regularly undergoing preventive examinations, you can avoid many problems. But even if you follow these simple rules, there is a chance that you will encounter unexpected troubles.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint responsible for the functioning of the jaw. Sometimes it presents unpleasant surprises: crunching, clicking, pain, discomfort when opening the mouth, chewing and talking. These symptoms can bother people of any age and often indicate a malfunction of the TMJ.

You can feel the jaw joint yourself: it is located near the ear, and when you open your mouth, a depression is found near the lobe. The joint has a complex structure, consisting of bones and adjacent muscles and tendons, so there are many reasons that cause certain diseases. Diseases can develop both as a result of existing health problems, and against the background of accidental mechanical damage.

Pain related to the jaw region brings a lot of inconvenience to a person, especially when it intensifies during communication or eating.

There are many reasons for their occurrence: dental disease, jaw injury, damage to nerve endings.

At the same time, the problem may be non-dental in nature, but indicate the presence of a certain disease.

To understand which specialist can help in this situation, it is worth paying attention to the nature and location of the pain.

Accurate and timely identification of the cause of pain when chewing food contributes to the correct diagnosis and provision of appropriate therapeutic procedures.

There are several large groups of factors that influence the occurrence of pain in the jaw apparatus.

Injuries

Mechanical injury to the jaw is often due to the following reasons:

  1. Bruise caused by a strong blow or fall. The bones of the jaw apparatus retain their integrity, however, damage to the soft tissue occurs. When opening the mouth, pain occurs, a bruise forms and slight swelling of the damaged area of ​​​​the skin. As a rule, all symptoms disappear within 2-3 days.
  2. Dislocation. This situation is possible with a sharp opening of the mouth, yawning, laughing, or opening a bottle with the teeth. Pathology often occurs when a person has joint diseases. The dislocation looks like this: the lower jaw is fixed with a skew to one side when the mouth is open. To get rid of a dislocation you will need the help of a traumatologist.
  3. Fracture of the upper or lower jaw. This problem is a consequence of mechanical trauma, such as a strong blow, an accident, or a fall from a height. There are fractures of both one and both jaws at the same time. In addition to acute pain, a fracture is characterized by the inability to chew, swelling and bruising.
  4. Traumatic osteomyelitis. The main cause of this disease of the jaw bones is an untreated fracture, complicated by low immunity and the presence of foci of infection in the oral cavity. Often the cause of the development of pathology is an infected tooth, from which the infection spreads into the jaw tissue. Osteomyelitis is characterized by throbbing pain and increased body temperature.
  5. Chronic subluxation of the lower jaw. This condition occurs as a result of certain actions, such as coughing, yawning, laughing, and is characterized by a displacement of the jaw forward or to one side. The situation is a consequence of stretching of the fibrous tissue surrounding the joint between the lower jaw and the socket of the temporal bone, as a result of the lack of proper fixation of the articulation of the bones.

Consequences of wearing dentures or braces


The use of various orthodontic structures designed to correct the bite may be accompanied by minor pain, especially during the adjustment period.

Such devices are located on the teeth and promote their movement relative to the dentoalveolar line, which leads to the formation of uncomfortable sensations. This indicates that the process of correcting a pathological bite is proceeding correctly.

Important! If pain when using orthodontic appliances increases over time and interferes with eating or communicating, you should consult a dentist.

Installation of prostheses to restore lost crowns can also lead to slight pain during the initial stages of their use. After some time, the pain will disappear.

If this does not happen, you should consult a dentist to eliminate the possibility of incorrect installation of the orthopedic structure and the presence of an inflammatory process.

Dental diseases

The presence of certain dental diseases can cause pain when chewing:

  1. Pulpitis. The inflammatory process affecting the dental nerve is accompanied by the occurrence of paroxysmal pain, intensifying at night. In addition to the affected tooth, pain often spreads to the zygomatic, occipital region or to the opposite jaw.
  2. Periodontitis. Jaw pain in this disease is acute in nature, which is characterized by an increase and pulsation with an exacerbation of the process. When eating and pressing on the jaw, the pain intensifies.
  3. Alveolitis. The pain from the inflamed hole can radiate to the entire jaw, interfering with chewing food. In the absence of timely treatment, the disease can develop into the form of limited osteomyelitis, accompanied by purulent melting of the jaw bones.

Wisdom teeth eruption


The growth of molars is often accompanied by pain. This is due to the fact that the jaw is already formed and there may not be enough space for the growth of additional molars.

This can lead to the appearance of impacted or dystopic crowns.

The eruption of these molars may be accompanied by aching pain in the cheek area, spreading to the throat and ear, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and inflammation of the bones and muscles located in the area of ​​tooth growth.

If you experience pain associated with the eruption of molar crowns, you should contact your dentist to avoid the formation of inflammatory processes due to their improper location.

Malocclusion

The pathological location of the crowns relative to the line of the dentition can cause pain during chewing. This is due to improper distribution of loads and the need to apply additional effort.

A pathological bite may be accompanied by pain when opening the mouth, chewing, talking, headaches, and spasms of the jaw muscles.

This situation requires immediate attention to the dentist, since if left untreated, it can lead to the formation of dislocations caused by weakening of the ligaments due to improper positioning of the temporomandibular joint.

Purulent-inflammatory diseases

An acute purulent process is another possible cause of pain in one of the jaws. The most common diseases are:

  1. Osteomyelitis characterized by inflammation of soft and bone tissue. It is accompanied by sore teeth, spreading to the entire jaw, swelling of the face and its asymmetry.
  2. Furuncle accompanied by the development of acute purulent inflammation of the skin. Often the area of ​​spread of the disease is limited, but has pronounced pain.
  3. Abscess most often develops against the background of mechanical damage to the jaw and concomitant infection. When the disease occurs in the upper jaw, difficulties in opening the mouth and swallowing are characteristic; in the lower jaw, pain occurs when chewing. Externally, the abscess is expressed in swelling of the submandibular triangle and distortion of the shape of the face.
  4. Phlegmon. The symptoms of this pathology resemble osteomyelitis - sharp pain in the jaw row or under it, swelling of the face, fever. The area of ​​inflammation in this disease tends to spread.

Tumors

Soreness of the jaw during chewing in the absence of any trauma or inflammatory processes may indicate the presence of a benign or malignant neoplasm in the body.

Often such pain is mildly chronic, regardless of the type of tumor.

The following types of tumors are considered benign:

  • adamantium characterized by an increase in the size of the jaw, which leads to difficulty and pain in the process of chewing food, which gradually intensifies as the tumor grows;
  • osteoma– a tumor that slowly grows from bone tissue and is accompanied by malocclusion, jaw deformation and limited opening of the oral cavity;
  • osteoblastoclastoma is accompanied by a slight aching pain, which gradually increases, and with the increase of the tumor becomes incessant.

Malignant neoplasms include osteosarcoma and cancer. These diseases are accompanied by pain when pressing on the jaw, severe pain near the ear or in the neck area, and deformation of the jaw bones.

In this case, the area with the most severe pain can be found in the chin area.

Neuralgia

Damage to certain nerves can also cause pain that radiates to the jaw. This often occurs due to the following inflammations:

  1. Damage to the ternary nerve causes sharp paroxysmal pain, which is concentrated on one side and intensifies at night. In this case, the pain does not extend to the back area of ​​the jaw.
  2. Inflammation of the superior laryngeal nerve accompanied by severe pain on one side of the submandibular region, which can move to the area of ​​the face and chest. The greatest intensity of painful sensations occurs when chewing or yawning.
  3. Key symptom neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal nerve– severe pain in the tongue, gradually spreading to the lower jaw and face. It usually occurs during communication or eating. The pain is paroxysmal in nature, lasts about 2-3 minutes, after which it subsides.
  4. Carotidynia is a type of migraine caused by diseases of the carotid artery. The pain occurs in attacks and lasts up to several hours. It is usually localized on one side of the upper jaw, gradually radiating into the lower dental row, face, and ear.

Pain near the ear

Painful sensations when chewing, radiating to the ear, are characteristic of diseases of the temporomandibular joint - arthritis, arthrosis and dysfunction.

These joint pathologies can be caused by infection, hypothermia, high load, mechanical damage, or malocclusion.

Joint diseases of the jaw are characterized by incessant aching pain that flows into the ear area, discomfort and crunching when opening the mouth and chewing. In some cases, pain can spread to the entire face.

For more information about the causes of pain in the jaw joint, watch the video.

Diagnostics

To find out the cause of jaw pain associated with eating, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.

An examination by a dentist will determine whether these symptoms relate to dental diseases. In some cases, additional consultation with a neurologist, otolaryngologist or cardiologist may be required.

Treatment options

The method of eliminating jaw pain depends on the cause of its occurrence, established during the preliminary examination:

  • if there is a bruise, a fixing bandage is applied and compresses are prescribed;
  • a dislocation requires the jaw to be realigned by a traumatologist and a bandage applied;
  • acute purulent diseases are treated in a hospital setting with antibiotics;
  • in the presence of abscesses, they are opened and the purulent filling is removed;
  • carotidynia requires the prescription of painkillers and antidepressants;
  • pain caused by an impacted wisdom tooth is eliminated after its complete eruption, which is facilitated by a small surgical incision;
  • in the presence of neoplasms that cause pain in the jaw area, they are treated surgically using chemotherapy if necessary.

With the permission of the attending physician, folk remedies can be used as an addition to drug therapy. Here is one of them:

  1. 20 grams of crushed coltsfoot and oregano herbs are placed in a small container, 500 ml of vodka is poured in and infused in a dark place for 3-4 days.
  2. After this time, the tincture is filtered and used to rub the area with high pain.
  3. The duration of such treatment should not exceed 10 days.

Therapeutic gymnastics also helps to cope with jaw pain. Orthodontists recommend performing the following exercises:

  1. Smile with closed lips.
  2. Sequential lifting of the upper and lower lips until the teeth are exposed.
  3. Puffing and retraction of the cheeks.
  4. Closing lips with a tube.

Each exercise must be performed 8-10 times twice a day. After finishing the gymnastic procedures, the face should be relaxed and lightly massaged.

Prevention

To avoid jaw pain, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • avoid hypothermia;
  • timely cure viral and dental diseases;
  • consume enough vitamins;
  • stop using chewing gum;
  • apply local self-massage of the jaw;
  • perform myogymnastic exercises;
  • Make sure that your head is raised 30 cm above the bed while sleeping.

The human body is living matter that is capable of experiencing both moral and physical feelings, reacting to darkness or light, experiencing joy and sadness, hunger and satiety, fatigue and vigor. One of the unpleasant moments is the human body’s exposure to various negative environmental factors, when not only internal but also external processes are disrupted. Usually these processes negatively affect the person himself, giving him a very strong feeling of discomfort. We are talking here, of course, about pain. Pain can be caused for completely different reasons, which, in any case, need to be paid attention to.

Most of the world's population can boast of frequent pain in the facial area, in close proximity to the jaw, when it even hurts to open your mouth. This is a fairly common phenomenon in which.



When your jaw hurts when you open your mouth, you should immediately consult a doctor so that he can determine the true cause of this unpleasant condition. Under no circumstances should you ignore this pain or let your condition take its course, as they say, everything will go away on its own. You need to clearly remember that any pain arises, first of all, due to some good reason, and only a doctor can tell how serious it is.

Causes of jaw pain



The jaw can hurt when you open your mouth for a number of quite serious reasons, about which it is worth saying a few words in order to be fully prepared.

  1. One of the main causes in the jaw is, directly, its fracture. This can happen after physical force is applied to you, when there is a strong blow to your jaw, due to an accident, a serious fall, when a person could hit his head, etc. Moreover, in all these cases, both jaws can break at once. The impact on the skull can be so strong that the facial bone becomes strained under pressure and both jaws are fractured. When a person, for example, receives a strong blow to the jaw, and the bones cannot withstand it and break, you can understand whether a fracture has occurred by trying to open your mouth slightly. If your jaw hurts when you open your mouth, in this case, know that you definitely have a fracture, and you need to immediately see a doctor to prevent improper fusion and further pain.
  2. Another common cause of jaw pain is osteomelitis. This disease is infectious in nature. Severe inflammation occurs, which affects all parts of the jaw bone. Most often, this disease is caused by some infection getting into the dental canal and affecting it. Osteomyelitis can manifest itself not only in the fact that when it appears, the jaw hurts when opening the mouth. This disease causes both very high fever and pain. If you notice similar symptoms, you should definitely visit a dentist, because he is the one responsible for the condition of the teeth and oral cavity. If this disease is indeed osteomyelitis, the doctor will definitely find the affected tooth and remove it. This is exactly what will help get rid of it in the jaw area. Otherwise, you can achieve even greater progress of the disease, which will further lead to an abscess.
  3. Severe pain in the jaw is caused directly by dental diseases, when they, for example, are affected by caries. Usually, during the day, the pain is not as noticeable as at night. It becomes aching, throbbing, and prevents you from sleeping normally or doing anything at all. In such cases, it is necessary to visit a dentist who will carry out a number of health procedures and help remove caries or other infectious plaque on the teeth.
  4. The jaw hurts when opening the mouth and due to a fairly common disease called arteriitis of the facial artery. This disease is accompanied by a strong burning sensation that starts from the chin area and ends near the nasolabial fold.
  5. Sometimes jaw pain occurs due to dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint. With this disease, the pain spreads to the jaw itself, to the joint, cheeks, temples and even forehead. With this disease, the jaw hurts very much when opening the mouth, and every movement is accompanied by an unpleasant click. There are many reasons for this disease; one of the most common is malocclusion.
  6. Several types of neuralgia can also cause pain in the jaw area. If we talk about cranial neuralgia, then inflammation of the nerves of the skull occurs here, which transmit pain sensations to the jaw. Neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve primarily affects the larynx, which is closely connected to the jaw. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia transmits pain from the very base of the tongue, affecting the jaw, and ending. However, this disease is very rare. Neuralgia of the ear canal is accompanied by severe throbbing pain in the ear, which smoothly passes into the lower jaw.
  7. Sometimes the jaw hurts when opening the mouth and due to a disease such as carotidynia. This is a type of migraine.
  8. The most terrible disease when pain occurs in the jaw is considered to be osteogenic sarcoma. This is a type of malignant cancerous tumor.

Any manifestation of the jaw must be controlled by a specialist. It is necessary to see not only a dentist, but also a neurologist and a surgeon, depending on what exactly is causing the problem in the jaw. The specialist will definitely make the correct diagnosis and prescribe immediate treatment that will relieve you of pain.

Every day, without noticing it, a person makes many jaw movements while talking and eating. Sometimes these movements become noticeable and difficult. If your jaw starts to hurt when you open your mouth and when you chew, You should not make sudden movements and you should immediately consult a doctor - a traumatologist, surgeon or therapist.

Jaw pain when chewing and opening the mouth: common causes

Pain in the temporomandibular joint can occur under various circumstances. The most common causes of pathology are listed in the table:

Group of reasons Possible diagnoses
Injuries to the temporomandibular joint - occur as a consequence of blows, falls, sudden opening of the mouth, chewing hard food, careless actions of the dentist.

A fracture is a violation of the integrity of the upper, lower or both jaws at the same time.

Dislocation is damage to a joint with displacement of the articular surface of the bones.

Contusion is damage to soft tissue without disruption of skeletal components.

Purulent-inflammatory processes - occur when an infection enters the bone tissue, sometimes after an injury.

Cellulitis and abscess are severe purulent inflammations that can destroy a large area of ​​soft and hard tissue.

Furuncle - subcutaneous limited suppuration.

Osteomyelitis is inflammation of bone tissue.

Tumors are the growth of tissue due to uncontrolled cell division.

Adamantioma is a growth of jaw tissue.

Osteoma is a slowly growing benign tumor.

Osteoblatoclastoma is a tumor that can be accompanied by deformation and frequent bone fractures.

Sarcoma is a malignant growth of bone or cartilage.

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Arthritis is a lesion of the joints with limited movement, often developing against the background of autoimmune diseases.

Arthrosis is degenerative changes in joints with destruction of cartilage.

Other causes of jaw pain

In other cases, pain in the jaw on the left or right does not appear due to pathological problems in the jaw tissues, but due to inflammation of nearby structures:

  • On the left, right or both sides, the jaw may hurt due to otitis media - inflammation of the ear. The more actively the inflammatory process develops, the further the pain spreads. First it radiates into the ears, then into the cheekbones and jaw. Often the pain syndrome has a shooting character.
  • Pain radiates to the upper jaw and cheekbone due to sinusitis– inflammation of the air sinus.
  • Pain can be caused by an advanced form of caries when the lesion reaches the pulp chamber and affects the nerve. With some types of pulpitis, it is very difficult to determine the source of pain.
    Pain on the right or left side of the jaw near the ear can be caused by a cutting wisdom tooth.
  • If, after receiving prosthetics, it becomes painful for a person to chew, and his jaw begins to ache on one side of his face, the cause of the symptoms could be the incorrect shape or incorrect installation of the prosthesis.
  • Neurological problems: neuralgia due to pinching of the glossopharyngeal, trigeminal nerve.
  • Bruxism is the grinding of teeth at night.

Associated symptoms

Pain in the jaw when yawning, opening the mouth and chewing is a common symptom for numerous diseases. An analysis of the accompanying symptoms helps to find out why the jaw hurts. The presence/manifestation is taken into account:

  • Increased body temperature.
  • Runny nose, sore throat, sinuses, ear.
  • Hearing impairment.
  • Pain in other joints of the body.
  • Weakness, dizziness.
  • Joint and bone deformities.
  • Ulcers on the skin or in the mouth.
  • Toothaches.
  • A crunching sound in the joint when the mouth opens.
  • Severe pain: when a fracture occurs, the jaw hurts so much that the mouth cannot open.
  • Increased pain in the joint when turning the head to the left or right.
  • Enlarged lymph nodes.
With dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), headaches may occur; a person is constantly accompanied by a crunching sound in the jaw.

Diagnostics

If a person has a sore jaw near the ear and it hurts to open his mouth, he should see a doctor as soon as possible. You should contact a dentist or therapist; if you have an injury, contact a traumatologist or surgeon. If the dentist does not identify a dental cause for the pain, he will refer the patient to an appropriate specialist.

Various tests may be needed for diagnosis:

  • X-ray of the jaw.
  • Examination by an otolaryngologist using special instruments.
  • Blood analysis.
  • Bacterial culture of purulent discharge.

How to treat pain in the jaw joint when opening the mouth

Jaw pain will not subside until the underlying disease is cured. If a patient takes pain medication but is not diagnosed and treated under the supervision of a doctor, the symptom will worsen. The direction of treatment depends entirely on the diagnosis and is very different in each specific case:

  • In case of injuries, restriction of joint mobility is indicated; sometimes surgical restoration of the integrity of the jaw and jaw joint is required.
  • Inflammatory processes in soft and hard tissues, as well as ENT organs, are treated with antibiotics - if it is reliably established that the inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection. Surgery may be necessary to remove accumulated pus.
  • During oncological processes in the body, special agents are used to control cell division and inhibit tissue growth. Later stages of disease progression are treated with radiation and chemotherapy.
  • If the structure of bone tissue is impaired, vitamins, complex preparations with vitamins and minerals, anti-inflammatory medications, medications to normalize cartilage tissue, and a special diet are prescribed. Sometimes pain medication is injected directly into the joint.
  • For neuralgia, injections are given to block the nerve, sedatives and vitamin preparations, physiotherapeutic procedures, and acupuncture are prescribed.
  • Caries, pulpitis and other dental damage are treated with fillings or tooth extraction. If the prosthesis causes pain, it needs to be replaced.

What to do if your jaw hurts near your ear when you open your mouth and when you chew

Without a diagnosis, a person cannot choose the correct treatment - which is why jaw diseases cannot be treated on their own. In addition, some of the listed pathologies are useless to treat without hospital conditions.

Although the patient himself is not able to cure such a symptom, sometimes urgent help is required at home, as the pain can be very severe. Following these recommendations can help reduce discomfort:

  • Do not heat the jaw area near the ear: if there is a purulent-inflammatory process, such manipulations will provoke a rapid release of pus and its spread into the bloodstream, which threatens intoxication and general infection. To relieve discomfort, you can apply a cool compress, but only if the pain is not caused by an infection.
  • Yawning, chewing, and opening your mouth should be done very carefully.
  • To prevent pain from intensifying, you need to temporarily avoid hard and sticky foods, which require increased chewing load. You can't chew gum.
  • If it hurts to open your mouth, conversations should be reduced to a minimum.
  • If a patient has a jaw injury - he cannot open his mouth, yawn, or speak - you need to call an ambulance and try to provide maximum rest to the damaged joint. Moving the jaw and turning the head can cause bones to shift. For open fractures, the skin around the wound is treated with an antiseptic. If there are bone fragments, they should not be touched.

Prevention

Treatment for pain in the jaw near the ear when opening the mouth can be very difficult and lengthy. Therefore, it is better to take care in advance to ensure that such a symptom does not appear. This requires prevention of those diseases that affect the jaw, joint structures and tissues located nearby:

  • When talking, yawning and biting food, do not open your mouth too wide.
  • You should not get carried away with too hard and viscous food - it can harm not only your teeth, but also your joints.
  • It is necessary to avoid drafts and hypothermia, contact with infectiously infected people.
  • A varied diet is needed to provide bone and cartilage tissue with all the beneficial substances.
  • After installing the prosthesis on one or both sides, you should carefully check its compliance with the anatomical shape of the jaw: you need to open and close your mouth, try to close your teeth. If discomfort is felt, the prosthesis will have to be adjusted.
  • It is necessary to treat diseased teeth in a timely manner so that the infection does not penetrate into the maxillary or mandibular bone.
  • If your jaw suddenly begins to hurt on the left or right side, you should immediately consult a doctor - such a symptom may indicate a dangerous disease that requires urgent treatment.

If your jaw joint hurts when opening your mouth, do not put off going to the dentist. It is not recommended to rely on self-medication, since advanced diseases associated with such symptoms can be life-threatening.