What Could Be Causing Your Jaw Pain?

Jaw pain can be caused by a number of different things. Maybe you fell and bumped your chin, or maybe you bit down on something that was too hard for your teeth, or maybe it's something a little less obvious to you. If you have jaw pain and you aren't sure exactly where it may be coming from, you should seek help from your dentist. There may be things in your day-to-day routine that could be causing this jaw pain and things you may be doing that you aren't even sure are causing you this pain. Read on for a few things that may be causing you to have jaw pain.

Grinding Your Teeth

You may be grinding your teeth without even realizing you're doing it. You may be doing it at night and not realize it. Grinding your teeth or clenching your teeth is usually something a person does when they are stressed or have anxiety. If you notice your jaw is tired when you wake up in the morning, try sleeping with a mouth guard at night to see if this helps you. If you notice it occurring during stressful times of your day, such as at work, you should do something about the stress levels you have at work.

Chewing On Things

If you are someone who bites nails, chews on pencils, or chews gum a lot, it may be to help with your anxiety, but it's affecting your teeth and your jaw muscles. You are going to not only wear out your teeth, but you are also going to wear out your jaw muscles. Never chew on anything that is a non-food item, and if chewing gum is causing your jaw pain, you should stop chewing gum as well. You need to find a different way to deal with your anxiety, instead of chewing on things.

Tooth Infection

If you have an infected tooth, it could be causing you pain in your jaw. Your tooth infection may have gotten so bad that it is now infected below the gum line and is now in the jaw. If you have an infection this badly and it's hurting your jaw, you should seek medical attention immediately and see your dentist for help. An infected tooth that is causing you this much pain may need to be pulled out completely, or you may need a root canal, or you may only need an antibiotic. No matter what though, you need to seek medical attention.

If you are experiencing pain in your jaw, you need to seek medical attention, as jaw pain can be caused by a number of things. To prevent this pain from causing any other issues for you, get to the dentist for treatment.


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