For the last two months, I have been experiencing painful jaw. I suspect it started with an ear infection because I was experiencing a mild ear ache before I have this terrible painful and tender jaw that prevented me from eating solid foods.
I have searched for the reasons of painful jaw and some of the are said to be related to stress, bruxism, tooth decay and even indications of heart attacks. Well, some of the medical websites made references to the condition call Temporomandibular (TM) Disorders,
Right now, the painful jaw is not severe and I have not bothered to see a dentist or doctor about it. I hope it will disappear completely soon.
I have had TMJ for years. I have been to doctors, dentists, a TMJ specialist, and chiropractors. I am convinced of a few things with my “grinding and clinching while I sleep”. 1. I am not convinced having my wisdom to in (and straight) causes additional stress on my teeth or jaw and thus need to be pulled. 2. I do believe it is stressed related (for me it is the nature of my profession) I love the profession so I stay in it. Regular exercise I am convinced will release a lot of the stress. 3. Proper sleep pattern is essential. 4. Caffeine and over-indulgence in sugar foods increases my TMJ. 5. Chiropractor adjustments to make sure neck and jar is in alignment helps tremendously and also helps elevate the migraines I can get because of the TMJ. 6. I wear a night mouth guard to protect my teeth from the clinching and it releases tension in the jaw. Hope this helps.