If you experience jaw pain, it may be a symptom of a temporomandibular disorder (TMD). What a mouthful, huh? TMD can cause serious jaw discomfort and pain and is often triggered by a number of conditions including bruxism, and malocclusion. Read our blog to learn more about TMD.
However, TMD is not the only cause of jaw pain. Here, we will discuss alternative reasons why your jaw may hurt and what you can do about it.
- Broken Jaw – It may be obvious, but if you’ve been in an accident or impacted your jaw in anyway, you could potentially have a fractured or broken jaw. Head to a hospital for an x-ray to make sure that your jaw is intact.
- Jaw Cancer – If you smoke or frequently consume alcohol, you may be at a higher risk for developing jaw cancer. If you have jaw pain, it never hurts to get screened by your doctor for jaw cancer.
- Tetanus – Tetanus is contracted by unimmunized individuals when a serious cut becomes contaminated with the tetanus organism. Though it is extremely rare in the United States, it’s important to note that a stiff jaw, or lockjaw, is one of the first signs of the disease.
- Heart Attack – Did you know that jaw pain can actually be one of the first signs of a heart attack? While it seems like a strange connection, jaw pain, especially in the lower left jaw that fluctuates over a few minutes is nothing to mess around with.
- Arthritis – Arthritis affects the joints in a persons’ body, and that doesn’t exclude the temporomandibular joint, or jaw joint. If you experience stiffness or mild pain, you may be experiencing arthritis of the jaw.
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome – Myofascial Pain Syndrome occurs when a person contracts a muscle repetitively and the sensitive points on the muscle send pain signals to seemingly unrelated body parts. If this is the case, pain may be felt in the jaw, even if the source of the pain is elsewhere.
If you experience jaw pain, make an appointment with Dr. Wolnik as soon as possible. He can help to diagnose the problem and find you a solution in no time. Give us a call at (440) 888-5055 or send us an email at [email protected] today!
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