Jaw pain: It’s time to diagnose the problem
What causes jaw pain? It’s can be a complicated issue to diagnose. In order to effectively manage the pain, a thorough assessment is needed to determine the root of the problem.
Common sources of pain include the temporomandibular joints between the lower jaw and the skull, or the muscles which move the mandible (lower jaw).
However, other structures may ‘refer’ pain to the jaw. This means that while the sufferer experiences pain in the jaw, the source of discomfort is stemming from somewhere else. This could be from a problem with the teeth, the muscles or even the ear.
Pain can also be due to fatigue caused by clenching or grinding the teeth either at night or during the day. This is often due to stress. We are seeing a lot more temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) since the start of the COVID pandemic.
This all means that in order to diagnose the problem, we need to collect a thorough history of the issue, conduct an examination and take radiographs and scans.
Once we determine the root cause of the pain, treatment might include splint therapy, physiotherapy, medication or even psychological therapy – such as counselling or hypnosis.
Inverloch Family Dental are passionate in providing care with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Contact the clinic on (03) 5674 2691 or via email at inverlochfamilydental@gmail.com.