The jaw pain you are experiencing may be caused by irritation, tension, or inflammation of the muscles surrounding your jaw. These muscles are known as temporomandibular muscles. Inflammation of these muscles leads to jaw pain, severe headaches, and facial pain. This inflammation may be caused by teeth grinding, clenching, or jaw misalignment caused by trauma. Our practice offers several recommendations on what you should do when you experience jaw pains of this nature.
Wearing a night guard
You may notice that you experience a lot of pain in your jaw in the morning. This jaw pain may result from teeth grinding in your sleep, which causes a lot of pressure on your jaw muscles leading to inflammation and jaw pain. Wearing a nightguard as you sleep prevents subconscious teeth grinding and consequently reduces jaw pain.
Wearing a mouth guard
We recommend wearing a custom-made mouthguard when playing contact sports such as hockey and rugby. These sports put you at risk of dislocating your jaw in case of injury. Wearing a mouth guard will help you prevent dislocating your jaw, which will lead to jaw pain, and help keep your jaw in the correct position, reducing any pain you may be experiencing.
Hot and cold compressions
Heat promotes blood flow which leads to muscle relaxation. Since jaw pain is caused by jaw tension and other facial muscles, hot or cold compressions will relax the tensed muscles surrounding the jaw and reduce jaw pain.
Avoiding pain triggering activities and foods
Activities such as taking big bites of food, yelling, eating hard, crunchy food substances, and resting your jaw in your hand may trigger jaw pain. Drop by our offices if you're experiencing jaw pains. Our dentists are always available for consultation and treatment plans to help you feel better.
South Valley Oral and Facial Surgery, 5595 Winfield Blvd, Suite 202, San Jose, CA 95123-1220 ^ 408-479-9449 ^ svofs.com ^ 9/5/2024 ^ Key Phrases: dental implants San Jose CA ^
The jaw pain you are experiencing may be caused by irritation, tension, or inflammation of the muscles surrounding your jaw. These muscles are known as temporomandibular muscles. Inflammation of these muscles leads to jaw pain, severe headaches, and facial pain. This inflammation may be caused by teeth grinding, clenching, or jaw misalignment caused by trauma. Our practice offers several recommendations on what you should do when you experience jaw pains of this nature.