Is the pain in your jaw giving you sleepless nights? Are you trying to figure out where the pain is coming from? Are you wondering that what triggers the pain all of a sudden? Don’t worry folks you have come at the right place to find out the answers to your questions.
Let’s begin!
Pain or tenderness in the jaw or the area around the jaw has become a very common problem now a days. The earlier thought process was that pain in the jaw ca pnly be due to the teeth and nothing else could be the cause of it. However over the period of time and advancement in the dental surgery department this view has changed.
The probable cause of jaw pain can be broadly classified into the following:
a) Odontogenic origin of pain in the jaw :
Pain in the jaw arising from the teeth.
b) Non odontogenic origin of pain in the jaw :
Pain in the jaw arising from other areas.
Odontogenic origin of pain
This pain is originating from the tooth;
- Pulpitis
- Apical periodontitis
- Periapical abscess
- Periodontal abscess
- Pericoronitis
- Erupting impacted tooth pain
- Osteomyelitis
- Others
Non-odontogenic origin of pain
This pain is originating from areas other than the tooth, such as:
- Tempro Mandibular Joint disorders
- Myofacial pain
- Attrition
- Sinusitis
- Neuropathic pain
- Vascular pain
- Neurovascular pain
Let’s briefly elaborate about all of the above problems.
a) Pulpitis: It is the inflammation of the pulp due to the deep caries involving the pulp which causes immense pain in the jaw. The pain increases at night. It is not easy to locate the tooth which is the source of the pain in some cases. Proper diagnosis is very important with noting down proper case history recording.
b) Apical periodontitis: Infection from the pulp reaches the bone surrounding the bone of the tooth. This causes the pain in the jaw. The pain can be localized to the tooth. There is pain on biting on the tooth.
c) Periapical abscess: It is the formation of pus in the area around the root tips of the tooth which causes pain in the jaw. The pain can be localized. It is sometimes associated with a swelling in the jaw or the area around the tooth in the gums. There might be a pus discharge seen from the swelling which is called a sinus opening.
d) Periodontal abscess:
It is the conversion of the food lodged in a pocket around the tooth into pus/ abscess. It is associated with swelling in the gum around the involved tooth. The involved tooth shows increased mobility. There is tenderness on touch.
e) Pericoronitis:
It is the pain associated with an erupting wisdom tooth due to inflammation of the gum that partially covers the tooth. The pain is due to food lodgement which gets infected over a period of time, if the oral hygiene is not maintained.
f) Osteomyelitis: It is the spread of the infection from the tooth into the jaw, lateral spread of the infection into the bone. The bone gets infected which causes the pain.
g) Cracked tooth pain: Pain in the jaw can also be associated with a crack in the tooth (microscopic or macroscopic) which has reached the pulp chamber. The pain is present on releasing the biting pressure on the tooth.
h) Temperomandibular joint disorders – conditions like arthritis or clicking of the join can cause pain in the jaw. The pain is mainly seen in front of the ear. Example is TMJ dysfunction with and without reduction.
i) Myofacial pain – pain in the jaw and related areas of the face due to excitatory generation of nerve impulse by one or the other nerve supplying the areas of the jaw. Eg being myofascial pain dysfuction syndrome.
j) Attrition – it is subconscious grinding of the teeth either due to stress or other envieonmental factors which leads to reduction in the height of the teeth. This excessive grinding of the teeth over the long run causes pain in the jaw. Especially during stressful events of life or seen early in the morning in nocturnal attrition.
k) Sinusitis- it is the inflammation of the sinuses of the skull. The pain in the jaw is mainly associated with the maxillary sinuses. Congested sinuses causes pain in the jaw specially post nasal infections or cold. The pain increases on bending over.
l) Neuropathic pain – pain in the jaw arising from the nerve that supplies that area. Example of the same is trigeminal neuralgia, it is a severe cutting kind of a pain on one side of the face radiating to the lower jaw ( related to the trigeminal nerve that supplies that area).
m) Vascular pain – Pain associated with specific blood vessel that supplies the area. Example being the arteritis.
Treatment option:
The pain in the jaw can be very stressful and often unbearable. It is always advised to get yourself checked with the best dentist in Delhi. Dr. Rajat Sachdeva’s Dental Institute, Ashok Vihar, Delhi is the best institute which can give you a proper treatment plan after a detailed consultation. However depending on the kind of pain you describe there can be a lot of options.
