Jaw pain can sometimes appear without warning, and it can make you apprehensive when it lingers. If you do experience persistent jaw pain on only one side of your face, it may be time to have it checked by a qualified oral and maxillofacial specialist.
What Causes Jaw Pain On One Side
There may be several factors that could lead to jaw pain on one side.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJDs)
The temporomandibular joints are located on both sides of your face in front of your ears, connecting your lower jaw to the skull and allowing the lower jaw to move while chewing and talking. If these joints sustain an injury, it can lead to Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJDs), which cause pain and other symptoms. These include jaw stiffness and clicking, popping or “sandy” sounds when moving the jaw. Other causes of TMD may stem from genetic, environmental, or hormonal factors, necessitating a thorough diagnosis to determine the root cause of jaw pain.
Dental Issues
While certain dental issues do not directly affect the jaw, they can still cause mild to severe jaw pain. Some of the more common dental problems that could lead to one-sided jaw pain include:
Cavities
Cavities form in your teeth and can lead to tooth decay. The decay can enlarge and encroach on the tooth pulp. This can then cause severe tooth pain that radiates from the problematic tooth and throughout one side of your jaw.
Periodontal or endodontic abscess
An abscessed around a tooth is a pocket of pus formed by a bacterial infection in the gums, appearing as a red, swollen bump or pimple. The infection generally starts at the gums, the tip of your tooth root, or the bone next to the tooth, and can slowly spread to surrounding structures.
Teeth Grinding or Clenching (Bruxism)
Teeth grinding or clenching occurs involuntarily when you are awake or asleep, subsequently causing dental damage, such as cracked teeth. This can cause severe pain if the nerve of the tooth is affected by the crack.
Bruxism can also result in inflammation of the muscles at the sides of the face or at the temporomandibular joints resulting pain.
Teeth grinding is often linked to mental stress or stressful environments. So if you have stress at work or at home, the chances of having problems associated with bruxism increase.
Gum Disease
A gum infection can occur due to inflammation and infection of the tissues supporting your teeth. Poor gum health can lead to sensitivity from the gums and one-sided jaw pain.
Sinus Complications
A blockage or inflammation in your nasal cavities (specifically the maxillary sinuses, which are positioned behind the cheeks) can cause one-sided upper jaw pain, though the intensity may vary with the severity of the sinus problem.
Injury to the jaw
A traumatic injury to the jaw can also contribute to jaw pain, especially if you have dislocated or broken your jaw. The severity of trauma may necessitate immediate medical treatment. Moreover, a dislocated or broken jaw is a medical emergency and should be treated by a qualified oral and maxillofacial specialist immediately.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
This rare condition is a chronic pain disorder that originates from the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is a nerve which is responsible for sensation in the head and face. The condition may adversely affect your daily life, as it can cause shooting and stabbing bouts of facial pain that interfere with daily life.
Symptoms That May Accompany One-sided Jaw Pain
If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, it may be an indicator that you may have one-sided jaw pain:
- Pain when talking, chewing, or moving your jaw.
- Frequent pain attacks that come and go.
- Pain from a tooth that radiates to other parts of the jaw.
- Popping, clicking or “sandy” noises when moving your jaw.
- Fever that accompanies jaw pain (indicating an infection).
- Facial swelling where the pain is occurring.
- Jaw stiffness.
- Occasional headaches during pain episodes.
It would be a good idea to seek dental or medical care as soon as any of these symptoms appear, as a prompt assessment and treatment may address the underlying problem and ease your discomfort. A thorough dental examination allows a dentist or oral and maxillofacial specialist to assess your dental health and make recommendations to treat your one-sided jaw pain.
How One-sided Jaw Pain is Treated
Once you undergo a dental examination, your appointed dentist or oral and maxillofacial specialist will recommend specific treatments to address your one-sided jaw pain.
At-Home Care
Some at-home remedies may provide temporary relief of symptoms, particularly for mild one-sided jaw pain. Some of these may include:
- Applying a warm compress to the affected area, which soothes the pain and alleviates stiffness. You can alternate it with a cold compress to numb pain and swelling.
- Resting your jaw to prevent overworking the muscles when talking or chewing.
- Taking softer diet to rest your jaw muscles.
- Gently massaging the affected area to soothe pain, alleviate numbness and stiffness, and release tension.
- Working with a physical therapist to support your recovery with targeted exercises.
- Incorporating relaxation techniques (such as mindfulness exercises and meditation) to reduce stress, if it causes symptoms that lead to jaw pain, such as bruxism.
Medications
Depending on the cause of your jaw pain, medications such as painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants may be prescribed to temporarily manage pain and other symptoms. This treatment method is generally prescribed to treat mild to moderate cases of one-sided jaw pain.
Mouth Guard
For mild to moderate bruxism, custom-made mouth guards (moulded from your teeth by a dental clinic or lab) can prevent your teeth from grinding against each other when worn. It is common to wear these during sleep to address sleep bruxism, which occurs involuntarily.
Botulinum Toxin Injections
Botulinum Toxin injection is a non-surgical procedure that allows your chewing muscles to relax. The injection blocks specific chemical signals from the nerves to the related jaw muscles, preventing the muscles from contracting too hard. The forces on the jaw and teeth are thus reduced. This can reduce pain that originates from the overworked chewing muscles and temporomandibular joint. These injections are commonly prescribed to treat bruxism to help reduce forces on your joints and your teeth. They work hand in hand with your mouthguard. Botulinum Toxin injections are particularly useful if the patient can’t tolerate mouthguard.
Oral Surgery
For severe cases of jaw pain, oral surgery may be recommended as a last resort, especially if conservative, nonsurgical treatments are unable to provide sufficient symptom relief. It may involve removing a damaged or diseased tooth, eradicating dentofacial infections or performing arthrocentesis to the temporomandibular joints to manage your jaw pain.
To learn more about treatments for jaw pain, contact TES Clinic today.