Jaw Pain

[Atonement]

What causes pain the the jaw?

For me, its just in the left side and my ears hurt too. Its really uncomfortable. And, do you have any tips for it?

[byee]

Addison, I'd bet you grind at night. Is the pain most apparent in the AM?

Being the 'psychologist', I'll first say it's grinding, and then belatedly say it could be TMJ which is a physical abnormality of the joint where the jaw hinges to the skull. Your dentist could probably diagnose this. Either way the pain would feel the same, and it radiates into your ear b/c of the proximity of the jaw muscles to it.

Jaw grinding is a symptom of stress, remember the brain doesn't really sleep at night, it processes info most of the time your body sleeps. So, when you're in "D" sleep (dream sleep), you might be grinding as a way of discharging stress.

The fix here is to address the stress in a way that is sufficient so your brain doesn't need to dump the excess stress thru your grinding. If that doesn't work, and you're in constant pain, the dentist can fit you with a mouth guard which will cushion the upper and lower teeth, preventing the grinding.

[Patchy]

Sam's right jaw grinding is a possibility, I had that wore a rugby gum guard for a couple of weeks then realised I stopped grinding my teeth.

Best way is to monitor it, if its constant might be best trying gum guard, same solution if its when you get up. however if its like after you ate maybe your biting too hard. Just try to figure out what figures it first.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

I have TMJ and I tend to grind my teeth when I'm stressed, so I know what kind of pain you're talking about--it sounds just like what I get. You may just be clenching your teeth, versus actually grinding them, and that can be going on during the day without your noticing it. Sometimes when I'm stressed I have to periodically remind myself to relax my jaw or I'm in pain by the end of the day. I agree with Sam that you should look at stress as a possible cause. Give it some time to get better and, if it doesn't, make an appointment with your dentist to talk about if you may benefit from a nightguard. A way you might check if this is a case of teeth grinding is to look at the inside of your cheeks. Chronic teeth grinders develop a thin white-ish line towards the middle--where the teeth meet up when the mouth is closed. I'm pretty sure this is due to occasionally catching or rubbing the skin between the teeth. It can fade when you don't grind for a while, but if you've never noticed that (you can feel it with your tongue), then you're more likely just clenching your teeth instead of grinding them. Try to not close your teeth all the way during the day. Lips closed, teeth slightly apart. Maybe 5mm, it doesn't have to be a large gap. I find that this helps keep me from clenching my jaw during the day because, well, my teeth can't clench together if I keep them so relaxed that they don't touch.

Something that helps me with the pain is to gently massage the jaw right there. I tend to rub in a downward motion, but whatever works for you is fine. Since it's just the one side, I'd recommend also rubbing right around the eustachian tube (http://www.bcm.edu/oto/clinic/educate/educateimages/myring.gif) as well. Sometimes that can get sort of clogged or otherwise irritated (especially if you have bad allergies, a cold, or an ear infection), and since it's so close to the jaw joint it can cause pain in that area as well. Heat is also good to relax the jaw and those muscles.

Oh, and avoid particular chewy or crunchy foods for now. Your jaw will thank you.