Jaw Pain

[rated_r90]

Hi all, lately I have had a pain under/on my jaw bone. It has been on either side of my chin and sometimes up towards my ears. I have had it eating, drinking and just sitting and it usually gets worse when I think about it (shock horror!). I wondered if it was something to do with particular foods/drinks but it hurts drinking tea, lucozade or anything else really. I have felt very anxious lately and I do grind my teeth, especially at night (so I've been told!).

Does this jaw pain sound anxiety related or perhaps something else?

Thanks a lot.

[pearl79]

some times when i get allergy i get pain/aches there, but definately more so when im extremely anxious and tense xxx:)

[AnnOBrien]

Hi, how is your jaw pain doing? This is a new symptom of mine over the last week. I've always been a teeth clencher, especially at night, sometimes waking up with sore teeth, but this is the first time its been hurting my jaw. I'm thinking its all the clenching over the years plus extra clenching just now has made my jaw hurt. Last week it was the left side, today and yesterday its mainly the right side. I'm seeing a dentist soon and will ask about getting a night guard.

[BobbyDog]

It's the anxiety........

I get the jaw pain, it's with clenching and grinding during the night, I was biting through my tongue - extremely painful; and biting my cheeks. Some of my teeth have really worn down and the dentist made me a mouth guard.



The mouth guard takes a little getting used to, but it is worth it.

[AnnOBrien]

Yeah, think I'm going to have to get a mouth guard, anything to stop the pain, couldn't even enjoy my homemade pizza tonight and that's not on!

[xfilme]

It sounds like TMJ. Its just a joint dysfucntion in your jaw. It can get quite uncomfortable when you eat and talk. It can cause pains under your jaw line, towards the back, where the little indentation is. This is because its the area where the Masseter muscle joins, which is one of the main muscles used for eating and talking etc. Its often caused by clenching and grinding your teeth. You can often tell if this is a likely cause by looking at your teeth and seeing if they are worn down on one side or both, so that points bits have been worn flat. If it is indeed TMJ, then the most annoying part of it is the fact that its usually caused by clenching and grinding (bruxism) in your sleep, so difficult to prevent without a mouth guard. I have TMJ myself. I have worn my teeth down on one side from clenching them at night and I have an over-developed Masseter muscle on my right side, making it constantly tender. It can cause weird noises in your ears too. Look it up online and see if you notice any similarities. Might be worth asking a dentist if you think it might be the case.

[waunder]

I have it and I am a grinder. Can get inflamed and if your sinuses get inflamed or infected it can get worse so allergies can make it worse or flare up. Tension from anxiety can also affect those muscles along the neck and jaw. lol bearer of good news aren't I.:blush:

[Trbfan]

I am getting more and more muscle pain and tightness in my jaw. It could be something similar to TMJ like I have. I also grind my teeth and chew the sides of my mouth when im anxious...as well as the fingernails.

[AnnOBrien]

I've been to a dentist about this, he says the jaw pain (and my neck pain etc) is being caused by the clenching. He is giving me a soft splint to wear (picking it up next week) and says that this should protect the teeth and certainly help with the pain.

[rated_r90]

Thanks for the replies everyone. My jaw is feeling a bit better but still getting some pains underneath my chin occasionally. Usually after eating/drinking something (even water or fruit juice can cause a pain) or just worrying about it. I tend to think about the potential of having a pain when I'm eating/drinking, so I probably make it worse for myself! It hurt all day when I had a job interview which freaked me out, but it stopped when I got home.

Guess it's all anxiety. I just keep trying to remind myself of that :)