Painful jaw on one side

Pain in the jaw

Many different reasons can lead to experiencing pain in the jaw. This pain may be caused by the reasons lying in the jaw itself, or perhaps in some other areas of the body. This article contains some very basic guidelines for determining the culprit.

The majority of the causes behind the pain in the jaw can be dealt with by a dental practitioner. There are two kinds of the aforementioned condition - primary and secondary. What we call primary jaw pain is pain provoked by any ailment that entangles the jaw, and the secondary jaw pain is provoked by some medical ailment located in a different part of the body. To put it simply, the latter means that the ache moves from another body part to the area of the jaw. In this case the pain in the jaw might or might not be accompanied by some other pain.

Causes behind the pain in the jaws

In accordance with the implicit culprit, the pain can be located on one or both sides of the jaw. Since, the condition known as primary jaw pain is directly linked to the jaw, the tenderness typically occurs on one side. What the patient may also experience is headache, unusual sounds from the joint of the jaw, troubles while moving the jaw, unease while chewing or opening and closing the mouth, tenderness of the muscles of the face, etc.

Physical shock to the jaw

Every kind of injury to the jaw can induce tenderness in the region of the jaw that has experienced the blow. For example, it is a situation where the jaw had been broken, and the mandible is now in immediate need of medical therapy, and it is only natural to expect mild to severe pain.

Problems related to teeth

Problems with teeth are the ones which are the most frequent culprits for pain in the mandible and for tenderness in the oral cavity. The list of potential issues that can lead to jaw pain includes tooth decay, tooth fracture, misaligned teeth, and such. Undergoing oral surgical procedure and having fillings put in teeth can also induce pain in the mandible. Grave instances of gum inflammation can provoke pain in the area of the mandible.

The most dangerous source of jaw pain

A cause behind jaw pain that is considered the most hazardous is heart attack. If a person notices pain in the ribcage, difficulty with breathing, sickness in the stomach, accompanied by pain in the jaw, they need to seek immediate medical help. All or some of these symptoms can be indicative of heart failure.