Seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your doctor, your dentist or a TMJ specialist can discuss possible causes and treatments for your problem.
The Best Type of Doctor to See for TMJ Pain
If you're experiencing TMJ pain, you should see a dentist. Dentists don't just treat your teeth—they're specialists who are trained in the anatomy of the jaw and diagnosing dysfunction in the bite.
If you notice tenderness in your jaw, pain when you bite or endure frequent headaches, make sure to schedule an appointment with your dentist. Although some causes of jaw pain are temporary and go away on their own, you may be experiencing the first symptoms of a serious dental problem.
This may include a health care provider, a dentist, or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor, depending on your symptoms. You will need a thorough exam that involves: A dental exam to show if you have poor bite alignment. Feeling the joint and muscles for tenderness.
Complex cases, often marked by chronic and severe pain, jaw dysfunction, comorbid conditions, and diminished quality of life, will likely require a team of doctors from fields such as neurology, rheumatology, pain management, and other specialties for diagnosis and treatment.
Is TMJ treatment covered by medicare? Medicare Part B covers TMJ treatment (even TMJ surgery) as long as it is performed by a qualified physician. If, however, your TMJ treatment falls into the category of pure dentistry, and not general healthcare, Medicare may not cover it.
You should talk to a healthcare provider if you have jaw pain that lasts more than a week. Severe jaw pain from a broken or dislocated jaw is a medical emergency. Likewise, severe pain that starts in your chest and your shoulders and moves to your jaw may be a heart attack symptom.
In some cases, jaw pain on one side can indicate underlying oral health problems. Some common issues that cause jaw pain are cavities, an abscessed tooth, gum disease, tooth decay, growth of wisdom teeth, missing or crooked teeth, and clenching or grinding your teeth.
Since other issues can have similar symptoms, your dentist will conduct a physical exam to determine the cause of your jaw pain. Your dentist will listen for jaw clicks and pops, test your bite, and check for tenderness or issues with your facial muscles.
Your dentist can usually diagnose jaw joint problems just by examining your jaw. But sometimes they may want to check if part of your jaw joint is out of place or if you have any signs of arthritis. They may refer you to a specialist doctor such as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
TMJ pain can be on one side or both sides. It all depends on where the pain is located. If the pain is located on one side of the face, the problem is likely to originate from that side. However, if the pain is spread across both sides of the face, it is less likely that the problem originates from one specific side.
Examples of the types of medications general dentists may offer include muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-inflammatory medications and analgesics. For patients who are experiencing extreme TMJ pain, temporary prescription pain relievers may be an option.
Some common symptoms of TMJ include pain in the jaw, face, and ears that can be excruciating. The most obvious sign of TMJ is a sudden onset of jaw pain. In addition to this pain, the joints of the jaw can be sensitive and can lead to joint degeneration.
Most types of jaw pain result from temporomandibular joint disorder. In many cases, jaw pain does not need immediate medical attention, but sometimes, it can indicate a more serious underlying condition that needs treatment. Anyone with severe, worsening, or persistent jaw pain should see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement. “TMDs” refers to the disorders, and “TMJ” refers only to the temporomandibular joint itself. People have two TMJs; one on each side of the jaw.
TMJ dysfunction (TMD) causes pain and tenderness in your jaw joints and surrounding muscles and ligaments. Causes include teeth grinding, jaw injuries, arthritis and everyday wear and tear. TMJ treatment varies from person to person and may include medication, physical therapy, custom mouth guards and jaw surgery.
A variety of modalities can be used to image the TMJ, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), cone beam CT, ultrasonography, conventional radiography.
Touch – your dentist will use their fingers to apply a bit of pressure to the jaw and TMJ to test for tenderness and pain. Sight – your dentist will look inside your mouth for signs of teeth grinding, clenching and alignment issues. They'll also use X-Rays, if they've found evidence of a TMJ disorder.
While opening your jaw slightly, place a finger over the joint in front of your ear, and then open wide until you can feel the joint move. If you feel the joint click or if it's tender when you press gently, you may have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.
The temporomandibular joints can be found on either side of the head in front of the ears. These joints allow us to talk, chew and yawn. When one or more of these joints become inflamed or painful, the condition is called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD).
The link between stress/anxiety and jaw pain
Stress may subconsciously contribute to us clenching more frequently than usual, which creates more pressure within the jaw (or temporomandibular joints). Over time, this can lead to poor control of the muscles responsible for opening and closing the mouth.
An injury, such as a broken jaw or a strain or sprain in the surrounding muscles, could cause jaw pain that radiates to the ear. If a person notices ear and jaw pain shortly after a fall, a car accident, or a blow to the head, they may have a jaw injury that needs medical treatment.
The good news is that most TMJ symptoms will clear up in no more than three weeks typically. However, certain TMJ conditions, especially those brought about by arthritis or bruxism, can last months or years, depending on the severity of the underlying condition.
Chronic Jaw Pain and Joint Damage
Over time, damage to the temporomandibular joint will take its toll, resulting in chronic pain and other symptoms like cracking, popping, and locking of the jaw. The pain may go beyond your joints, with discomfort and inflammation throughout your face and in your neck and shoulders.
If an individual is experiencing jaw pain, they must seek urgent medical attention, as it can indicate a heart attack. Jaw pain can occur as pain radiates or spreads from the chest to other areas of the body. An individual could also experience radiating pain in their spine, arms, back, neck, or stomach.