Although you might attribute it to wisdom teeth that were never removed when you were younger, there could be other reasons why your jaw hurts.
Let’s say that your jaw hurts, and it hasn’t stopped hurting for months. Although you might attribute it to wisdom teeth that were never removed when you were younger, there could be other reasons why your jaw hurts. Let’s take a look at what they could be.
You Grind Your Teeth
Whether you grind your teeth whenever you’re upset, or you do it unconsciously out of habit, grinding your teeth could be the reason why your jaw hurts so much. If your teeth are short and flat on top, then it’s a sign you grind your teeth. Sometimes, it could be happening while you sleep. If that is the problem, then you can benefit from using a night guard before bedtime. Two ways to tell if you habitually grind your teeth are if you have a slight headache or minor jaw pain that never seems to go away, especially right after you wake up in the morning.
You Have Bite Problems
Another possible reason is that you have bite problems. This has nothing to do with the side of the mouth you prefer to use while chewing. You’ll know you have bite problems when you have trouble chewing your food or holding a conversation. This condition could have been caused by an accident, a genetic quirk in your family, sucking your thumb, wisdom teeth that are impacted, or losing teeth and never replacing them. When you have missing teeth, the remaining teeth will drift or shift to fill in the gaps. The dentist can make you a bridge or crown that can stop the drifting.
You Might Have Tetanus
Although tetanus is highly uncommon, it is still possible to get it. You might know it better as lockjaw, which causes your jaw muscles to spasm out of control. This makes it incredibly difficult to open your mouth or swallow because of all of the pain you keep experiencing.
Your Jaw is Broken
You might have also broken your jaw somehow. If you have a hard time breathing or you notice that your mouth is always bleeding, then these are two subtle signs that something is wrong. Your jaw could also be out of alignment, or you suddenly notice that you can open or close your mouth. You might have been injured, in which case you need to go to the hospital as soon as you can.
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Dental Care Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney Dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online. For more dental tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.