Jaw Joint Pain

The stress of muscles and joints is usually behind the majority of jaw joint pain; one of the most common and severe conditions to be specified here is the temporo-mandibular joint disorder that usually affects the place where the upper and the lower jaws meet. With the jaw joint being one of the most solicited in the body, no wonder pain is such a frequent episode. Here are a few other health conditions that are most often associated with jaw joint pain: eruption of the wisdom teeth, misalignment of the jaws and injury of the jaw. Beside jaw joint pain such issues could also be accompanied by headaches, earaches and increased tension in the neck muscles.

People who practice more aggressive sports are likely to suffer from repeated jaw joint pain: bone fractures, disruption of the jaw or even arthritis may result from such heavy blows in the face area. Speculations have been made that chewing gum can also trigger jaw joint pain, but there is no scientific foundation to support such an affirmation. In case of a misalignment, a visit to the orthodontist is a must; for most such cases the use of special headgear or brackets can be necessary. In time, even untreated malocclusion cases can be responsible for jaw joint pain.

Regular dental examination including X-ray investigations can help you prevent the jaw joint pain episodes. There are special magnetic resonance tests that also analyze the condition of the soft tissues: the joints under the circumstances. Such tests are required only when there is no obvious cause for the jaw join pain and the exact location of the problem needs to be figured out. If a doctor recommends a very certain expensive diagnostic test, it is wiser to ask for another professional opinion before going for it.

In case of face injury the treatment of jaw joint pain is pretty simple; eat soft foods, apply ice bags on the affected area and avoid opening the mouth too wide as it happens for yawning, laughing or gum chewing. If you suffer from a form of temporo-mandibular joint disorder than you can also help to the improvement of your condition by gently stretching the muscles and using relaxation exercises to help you eliminate the tension. Oral protections could also be used at the recommendation of a specialist so as to reduce the pressure on both joint and muscular tissue.