When you suffer pain, it is a miserable experience. This goes for any type of pain, including jaw aches. With most types of pain, you can pinpoint the cause. Your ankle hurts because you tripped. Your elbow hurts because you bumped it. When your jaw hurts though, it can be difficult to tell why. There are several different causes for jaw aches, and they all require different types of treatment.

Bruxism

One source of a jaw ache is the grinding and/or clenching of your teeth, also known as bruxism. Aside from jaw pain, you may also experience worn enamel, receding gums and loose teeth. Bruxism is caused by any one of many problems, including stress and sleep disorders. Treatments include a mouth guard to relieve pressure, relaxation techniques or treatment of the sleep disorder.

TMD

Temporalmandibular disorder (TMD) affects the temporalmandibular joint, the joint that allows your jaw to move. It includes not only jaw pain, but also difficulty opening your mouth or chewing as well as clicking or popping while eating. One cause of this disorder is bruxism, and a mouth guard can help relieve pressure.

Toothache

A toothache can be caused by any number of things, but it almost always means that the tooth's pulp or ligament has become inflamed or even infected. You may have chipped or broken a tooth. You might have gum disease or tooth decay.

You may even have an abscess. No matter what the cause of the toothache, a jaw ache is a major indicator. One common fix for a toothache is a root canal, which removes the infected pulp as well as the root of the tooth.

Jaw aches occur in a number of situations. In order to find the source of the pain and receive the proper treatment, it is important to contact our office and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.