Osteogenic sarcoma
The tumor develops in the tissues of the jaw. The disease is manifested by deformation processes in those areas where the lesion appears. Patients experience pain in the facial area. Sometimes the problem is expressed in numbness, as well as in impaired sensitivity in the areas where the mental or infraorbital nerve fibers exit.
Inflammation of the lymph nodes
If the lower jaw hurts on the left, an enlarged node is often diagnosed. The disease has two forms - generalized and local. The nature of the disease is influenced by the type of infection. The problem may be caused by staphylococci, streptococci, untreated caries. Patients develop fever, mumps,
Arteritis of the facial artery
When the facial artery is damaged, patients experience a burning sensation in the area of the lower jaw bone. Severe pain develops in the area where there is an inflection. An inflammatory process occurs in the blood vessels, which narrows the lumen and disrupts blood flow. This situation promotes the formation of blood clots. Tissues do not receive nutrients and oxygen. The pathology most often develops against the background of autoimmune diseases or infectious blood diseases.
Neuralgia
- The lower jaw often cramps when the laryngeal nerve is damaged. Soreness is noted in the throat, in the corner of the lower jaw bone. Patients complain of increased salivation and cough.
- With cranial neuralgia, the patient feels strong impulses from pathological cranial nerve fibers. Damage to the trigeminal nerve causes sharp and cutting twitching and burning.
- Sometimes the glossopharyngeal nerve is affected. Attacks of pain begin at the root of the tongue and radiate to the ear, pharynx, jaw, and neck.
- The pathology of the ear node is manifested by a prolonged burning sensation, pain in the temporal zone, lower jaw bone, teeth, and chin.
Myocardial infarction
This is a serious condition when blood flow in the vessels that feed the heart muscle is disrupted. Among the causes of the disease are a sharp spasm and blockage. This causes the heart to be in a state of oxygen deficiency. Patients experience pressing pain behind the sternum, radiating to the lower jaw bone and to the left shoulder. In such a situation, you should immediately call an ambulance.
about the problem
Pain in the maxillofacial area (myofascial pain syndrome) is a complex interdisciplinary problem in medicine.
Pain in the jaw can occur when teeth, bones, cartilage, muscles, blood vessels and nerves of the maxillofacial area are damaged. The causes of damage can be inflammation, dystrophy, trauma, tumors of the tissues of the maxillofacial area, anomalies in the structure of the skeletal system.
Usually the first specialist people turn to when they experience pain in the jaw area is a dentist. But the cause of pain is not always diseases of the oral cavity and teeth. For some patients, the dentist finds it difficult to diagnose.
Next, patients will undergo examination: by a neurologist to exclude inflammation of the trigeminal and laryngeal nerves, diseases of large vessels of the neck and head; an ophthalmologist to identify diseases of the eye and orbit; an otolaryngologist to examine the nasal passages, sinuses and exclude chronic inflammatory processes.
There is also a group of diseases that do not directly affect the jaw tissue, but the pain they cause can radiate into the jaw. Such pain can occur during myocardial infarction and angina attacks. In this case, pain is simultaneously felt in the left shoulder blade and left arm. Chronic pain in the jaw of an aching nature occurs due to inflammatory processes in the large vessels of the neck and head. To distinguish between these conditions, an in-depth study is required using functional diagnostic methods, MRI, and CT.
If all known diseases are excluded, the question arises, what then causes pain in the maxillofacial area?
The most common cause is a severe spasm of the masticatory muscles, which causes sudden and sharp pain in the jaw when chewing, yawning, opening the mouth wide, etc. Such pain is called myofascial, and the disease is myofascial pain syndrome.
The mechanism of development of myofascial pain and muscle spasm is associated with the formation of painful muscle compactions in the masticatory muscles, which are called “triggers”. The trigger may be located outside the area of pain, and when pressure is applied to it, a painful lumbago occurs in the maxillofacial area.
Pain in the jaw can be aching, intermittent or constant, more acute or dull, accompanied by tingling, numbness and goosebumps. Additional symptoms are possible: twitching of the facial muscles, noise, ringing in the ears, stuffy ears, clicking in the jaw joints, increased sensitivity to cold. In severe cases, the pain spreads to the other half of the face, and it is difficult to open the mouth and chew.
The causes of triggers are: increased excitability of the central nervous system, trauma to the skull and maxillofacial area, cervical osteochondrosis. Therefore, in addition to the jaw area, pain can be observed in the cervico-occipital, as well as in the temporal, frontal and parietal areas of the head.
Thus, pain in the jaw occurs for a wide variety of reasons, and establishing a diagnosis is often very difficult.
Myofascial pain is the most difficult type of facial pain for dentists and specialists to diagnose. Pain and spasms in the jaw muscles are recognized and treated only by a vertebroneurologist.
Diagnostics
If a person has a sore jaw near the ear and it hurts to open his mouth, he should see a doctor as soon as possible. You should contact a dentist or therapist; if you have an injury, contact a traumatologist or surgeon. If the dentist does not identify a dental cause for the pain, he will refer the patient to an appropriate specialist.
Various tests may be needed for diagnosis:
- X-ray of the jaw.
- MRI.
- Examination by an otolaryngologist using special instruments.
- Blood analysis.
- Bacterial culture of purulent discharge.
standard treatment
In case of acute pain, urgent medical care is required in specialized clinics.
For chronic pain, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are usually prescribed. The pain can be relieved by cold or heat, massage, and physiotherapeutic procedures.
In severe cases of chronic pain, when the cause is not identified, doctors often associate them with mental disorders and therefore prescribe tranquilizers, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants.
What to do if your lower jaw hurts
If pain in the lower jaw bothers you, you should consult a doctor. He will determine the method of treatment. In addition to the dentist, you may need to consult a neurologist, infectious disease specialist, ENT doctor, or phlebologist.
- When your jawbone causes discomfort while wearing braces, your dentist can adjust the placement.
- If the soreness is caused by an injury, the help of a trauma surgeon may be required.
- During drug therapy, drugs are prescribed that relieve inflammation, promote the renewal of cartilage tissue, vitamin complexes, and physiotherapeutic procedures.
- In case of dental pathologies, the filling material is changed, artificial crowns are installed, row defects are corrected, and pathological roots are removed. Antibiotics are often prescribed to kill the infectious agents.
- Dysfunction of the jaw apparatus is eliminated with medications that relieve inflammatory processes.
- For periodontitis, pulpitis, or cysts, surgical intervention may be required.
- Migraines are treated with antidepressants.
- Abscesses are opened, exudate is removed.
An important condition for preventing the problem is early detection, thorough diagnosis and proper treatment of the pathology. The patient must regularly care for the oral cavity and strengthen the immune system.
our treatment
Unlike standard algorithms for searching for the cause of jaw pain, our clinic uses a specialized vertebroneurological approach. This approach allows you to accurately determine whether jaw pain is due to muscle triggers or not.
We consider triggers as one of the main causes of jaw pain in cases where the cause is not determined by other specialists: dentist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist, neurologist.
To treat painful muscle spasms and tightness (triggers), we use the method of muscle mesotherapy. After a series of microinjections with vitamin preparations, muscle spasms are relieved and areas of compaction are resolved, as a result of which pain in the jaw goes away.
Additionally, sessions of osteopathy, acupuncture, and physiotherapy are prescribed.
Treatment at home
What can you do before visiting a doctor? If the pain begins to bother you greatly, you can take any of the medications you have at home - analgin, tempalgin, pentalgin, nimesil, paracetamol. It should be remembered that it is not recommended to drink these medications in large quantities, and some of them have a negative effect on the liver.
You can rinse your mouth with a solution of soda (one teaspoon per glass of water) or infusions of any anti-inflammatory herb that you have in the house - chamomile, sage, calendula, oregano. Decoctions are prepared traditionally; one tablespoon of the herbal mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water. Use warm.
cost of treatment
The cost of treatment in our center is calculated individually, depending on the severity of the disease, its duration and the presence of complications.
Each patient is prescribed comprehensive sequential treatment in the form of a course of individually selected procedures.
In addition to the procedures, the treatment course includes a free follow-up appointment.
Initial and repeat appointments, as well as medications prescribed by a doctor, are paid separately. The cost of the initial appointment is 3,000 rubles.
A 10% discount is provided for a one-time payment for a treatment course.
Reason: wisdom teeth
Wisdom teeth, or “eights,” are the outermost teeth in the jaw row. They cut their teeth between the ages of 16 and 25, when the replacement of permanent teeth has already ended. Not all people have “Eights” - some do not have them or are not present in full.
Why does it hurt to open your mouth?
The intensity of pain depends on the characteristics of tooth eruption and the individual pain threshold.
In this case, it's all about the location of the wisdom teeth.
They are located on the edge of the jaw arch in the cheekbone area, the distance between them and the temporomandibular joint is minimal.
In addition, the rudiments of the “eights” are usually located in the gum deeper than the others, so their eruption is much more painful than the appearance of other teeth, causing swelling of the gum mucosa, which can spread to the soft tissues around the joint.
Nature of pain and accompanying symptoms
The pain in such situations is constant, it intensifies when you try to open your mouth completely, while talking, chewing, and it hurts to yawn.
The intensity of the pain depends on the characteristics of tooth eruption and the individual pain threshold - from mild discomfort to serious pain that prevents you from falling asleep.
In addition, the gums swell, the submandibular lymph nodes enlarge, and the temperature may rise. In some cases, the mouth practically does not open.
How to relieve the condition
To relieve pain, you can use medications - Kamistad, Kalgel ointments. To relieve inflammation and swelling, the oral cavity is rinsed with solutions of antiseptics, painkillers and medicinal herbs.
A cold compress may also improve the condition. It is acceptable to take painkillers. If noticeable improvement cannot be achieved within 3-4 days, you need to go to the dentist.
start of treatment
Treatment of jaw pain in our center begins with an appointment with a vertebroneurologist. The initial appointment is conducted by the candidate of medical sciences, chief medical doctor Lyudmila Ivanovna Mazheiko.
A vertebroneurologist will examine the nerves of the maxillofacial area; will identify painful compactions in the chewing, facial and cervical muscles, which are the causes of pain in the jaw; will establish the reason for the formation of triggers; If necessary, he will prescribe additional examination (MRI, CT).
Based on the data received, the doctor will develop an individual treatment plan.
Appointments with a vertebroneurologist are carried out by appointment. To begin treatment, make an appointment.
What to do?
If a tooth hurts when pressed, we immediately make an appointment with a doctor without waiting for complications. There is no point in being afraid, since the problem will not be solved by itself, but you will still have to go. If you come on time, the tooth can be saved. The doctor will carry out all manipulations through the opened canal without surgical intervention.
If you delay going to the doctor and you develop swelling of the gums, an abscess or gumboil, you will have to cut the gum, remove the affected tissue, and install drainage. In the most severe cases, the tooth is removed.
To relieve pain and side effects, the doctor will prescribe rinsing with chlorhexidine, solutions of faracilin, and soda. If necessary, you will have to take a course of antibiotics and drugs that promote tissue regeneration.
Clinical picture
First of all, the doctor conducts a visual examination of the bruised area to identify hidden injuries that cannot be identified by a person without medical education. For example, symptoms of dislocations or fractures may not appear immediately. Professional consultation allows you to begin timely treatment, if required.
To recognize a jaw bruise, it is important to pay attention to the following symptoms:
- severe pain in the place where the blow fell, intensifying when pressed;
- visual signs (eg, swelling, redness, abrasions, bruises);
- limitation of jaw mobility when yawning, talking, chewing;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- general weakness.
Jaw bruises are less dangerous than more severe injuries, so recovery is usually quick.
The doctor may order an x-ray or computed tomography to establish an accurate diagnosis. These studies will assess the condition of the internal tissues of the affected area.
Neoplasms
Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity are deadly, but often their early manifestations seem harmless.
Why does it hurt to open your mouth?
Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity are deadly, but often their early manifestations seem harmless
Pain is associated with damage to the soft tissues located next to the temporomandibular joint on the right and left sides, their partial destruction.
Damage to the joint itself is also possible.
The nature of the sensations and accompanying symptoms
The pain is increasing, constant, and in the last stages of the disease the patient cannot sleep.
There is bad breath, ulcers on the mucous membranes, tooth loss, diction and voice problems.
Treatment methods
Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used to treat malignant tumors. Carrying out a full-fledged operation with the removal of damaged tissue is impossible due to the large number of vital structures - vessels, nerves.
