TMJ Blog, TMD Disorder Pain Treatment Question: Why Does My Jaw Hurt?

Many people are curious about understanding what is TMJ or TMD? Do you have a TMD Disorder Pain Treatment Question or TMJ Dentist Question? You've landed here on a TMJ Blog to discuss what is TMJ Problems caused by? Why Does My Jaw Hurt? TMJ Problem Blogging or TMD Problem Discussion is an important dental question that we can help you answer.

TMJ, TMD Disorder Pain And Treatment 

Tens of millions of people globally have TMJ Pain. In the United States, it is estimated over 10 million people suffer from TMD pain or TMJ Pain. Your jaw and the muscles that make it all work involve a very complex system. Jaw muscles crank out powerful forces that chew up your food to start the process of digestion. Looking at other muscles in the body, these fibers may generate the most power, ounce for ounce. 

 

If you bite down firmly, you'll probably create 175 pounds of strong force on your teeth!  So, when you’re wondering “Why my jaw hurts,” this may explain the mystery.

Next to each ear, the jaw joint (TMJ) unites the lower jaw to the skull with a cartilage pad and small ligaments. When you chew, yawn, or laugh, these joints move in several different directions. When the jaw functions as it should, pain isn’t part of your experience.

Sometimes the jaw joint is subject to uncommon stress, and that’s when problems begin to show up. If you ever wake up at 6 a.m. with a tender jaw or headache, odds are your jaw hasn’t been resting very well.  At least 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from bruxism, also known as night-time teeth grinding. During sleep, your brain may ignore normal bite force and crank out 5 times more force than occurs during your waking hours! This abnormal activity strains muscles from the neck to the top of your head. It also "shrinks" the jaw joints and can cause swelling in the joints. It can also cause sensitive teeth, broken fillings, and toothaches from cracks.

A Powerful Chewing Machine

To understand the stress on these muscles, clench your teeth together.

Press your fingers on the muscle in front of your ears and run them down to the lower jawbone? Feel that bulge? Now clench and unclench as you rub your temple areas.

These long, skinny muscle fibers wrap up to the top of your head. When these big muscles, along with a series of small ones, undergo strain, then pain is produced. This discomfort radiates into many regions of the head and neck, and there’s a significant difference between where the pain comes from and where you actually feel it.

To make it even worse, the jaw joints can become pain producers by themselves. A perfectly-shaped cartilage disk cushions the lower jaw bone against little sockets in the skull. Unusual forces, arthritic changes, trauma, or an uneven bite can cause the joints to become imbalanced and irritated.

Maybe you’ve had a bum knee, throbbing hip, or painful knuckles. The same symptoms can develop in the TMJ on the left, right, or both sides. Research even shows that migraine patients may experience more severe TMD problems, and TMD may even intensify migraines. This amplified curse makes life extra miserable for anyone suffering from chronic migraines.

Can My Jaw Pain Stop?

If you’re constantly nagged by headaches or jaw pain, make sure you schedule a consultation with your dentist. A few easy tests and clinical signs provide insight to the big question about what’s making “my jaw hurt.”

While it’s a topic for another time, the possibility of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) should always be tossed around.. A well-designed study in 2009 showed one in four OSA patients also grind their teeth in their sleep. OSA is a serious sleep disorder that’s responsible for a long list of health problems.

In fact, 90% of people who die in their sleep have OSA that's never been treated!

Bruxism could be the first clue that you’re stressing your body and a sleep study is in order.

Sometimes it takes time to get an appointment for a sleep study. A simple, inexpensive nightguard appliance could be just what the doctor ordered to protect your jaw, teeth, and stop some of the jaw pain or headaches. You may decide to eventually invest in a custom nightguard, made just for you. There’s also a chance that treating a sleep disorder may take care of your pain while protecting your general health.

Getting to the bottom of “Why My Jaw Hurts!”

Jaw pain or headaches seriously influence your ability to enjoy life the way you should. In some cases, they may be telling you there's a serious health disorder like sleep apnea under the surface. A solid game plan should include:

• Make an appointment with your dentist to discuss your jaw pain concerns, and think about a sleep study with a certified sleep lab.
• If you’re having pain, try applying ice to the joints and muscles on the side of your face by your ears. Move the ice up to your temples. If you find the pain temporarily drops by half or more, you’re probably dealing with TMD. If you still have pain, there are many other categories of TMD that could be causing you misery, and you should follow-up with your dentist.

Stem Cell Dental Care - Stem Cells Therapy in Dentistry 

One aspect of TMD Treatment Pain and TMJ Pain Treatment that is coming to the market is Stem Cell Therapy.  Stem Cell Dentist or Stem Cells Dentists Therapy Treatment is an exciting area of dental care that is being explored.  It is important to note, that STEM CELLS DENTIST THERAPY is fairly new, and still being tested.

Understanding Jaw Pain and Stem Cells Dental Therapy is very exciting - in a newer way of treating TMD Jaw Ache Treatment.  We will be discussing this more in upcoming dental articles. We are seeking expert dentists to discuss Stem Cell TMJ Therapy and Stem Cell Dentistry Blogging online with us.  Time will tell whether Stem Cells in Dentistry will be an effective way of treating dental problems of the jaw such as TMJ Ache Pain.

DentalChat provides a real-time connection between patients and licensed dentists. Need an answer to a question? Start chatting now. Need to find a dentist you’re comfortable with? Let us help you. 

 Why Does My Jaw Hurt? 

In this local dentist blog, we discussed TMJ Pain,TMD Treatment Options, Local Dental Jaw Pain Discussion Online. TMJ Blog, TMD Disorder Pain Treatment Question: We asked Why Does My Jaw Hurt? Having jaw pain can be very painful. Stem Cells in Dentistry Blog and how Dentistry Stem Cell Therapy may be a way of treating Dental TMJ Pain.  We are looking to network with local dentists and dental practices.  We are also at DentalChat looking to partner with innovative smart technology companies in the Ai space.