Severe Pain in Jaw Muscle/Joint When Opening Mouth

[Sen]

This is a new one. Yesterday out of nowhere the right side of my jaw joint started to hurt. The pain is very sharp and intense. It feels like muscle pain. It begins to hurt when I open it as little as two finger widths. It hurts when I chew and put food in my mouth. It hurts when I hold my mouth open to brush my teeth.

Is it possible I could have hyper extended it while brushing my teeth? I open wide so I can see everything well while I'm brushing and flossing.

 

[glynis]

Hi Sen,
Maybe gritting teeth at night or over biting a Apple or burger or chewing food etc .
Keep to softer food and cut food up and I'm sure it will go as fast as it came.
See your dentist if it keeps happening.
Love glynis x

 

[Sen]

It hurts so much. I can barely eat food.

 

[glynis]

Try a warm cloth or water bottle by your jaw or just a nice warm towel against your face and paracetamol.
Keep to a soft diet for a few days and that should help.
I have jaw problems and the advice comes from a Maxillofacial specialist.
Love glynis

 

[Sen]

I eat a mostly soft diet already anyway. I've had problems with my right TMJ for years, it's always crunchy and clicky, and I suspect it contributes to my headaches. This is the first time it has ever been in pain. It hurts to chew even soft food, and hurts even more to open my mouth wide enough to get the food in.

It hurts opening my mouth wide enough to brush my teeth too.

The pulsating and tension on the right side of my face is worse than it has been in a long time.

I took a tylenol earlier and it doesn't really do anything.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Good advice by @glynis in both her posts on this thread. Also if you aren't having your teeth cleaned bacteria will cause all of the problems that you mentioned.

 

[Sen]

Good advice by @glynis in both her posts on this thread. Also if you aren't having your teeth cleaned bacteria will cause all of the problems that you mentioned.

I've done a ton of reading about cavity prevention over the past few years and I'm very much on top of my oral hygeine. I'm not sure what would have given you the impression that I'm not "having my teeth cleaned".

 

[glynis]

@Sen ,
Your middle ear houses your facial nerve so maybe information is causing you face issue.
Always get new symptoms checked if don't go...
Love glynis

Off to see my nurse practitioner check my ears out...could have a ear infection in the right one.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Sen It could be caused by several different things. It could be your temporomandibular joint or that your bite is off on one side or both sides. From that some teeth from gum swelling may not be giving you an even bite. This could be caused by grinding. Many times during sleep we don't realize that we are grinding our teeth.

Problems as you mentioned can also be caused by using a mouth guard at night. If a mouth guard is being used, it should be extended enough to cover your back teeth. This is in reference to using a mouth guard for either top or bottom teeth. Just a top or bottom guard is needed, but it must be comfortable, not bulky and cover all your teeth. Otherwise it will cause the problems that you are having.

There's many reasons for jaw problems and maybe a consultation with a dentist, maybe a specialized one would help. I'm having the same problems and my dentist said that I'm having the problems mentioned above. I use a top mouth guard and it doesn't cover all my back teeth, so it causes hyper extension when I open my jaw wide. I need a new mouth guard, as my is hard and doesn't cover my back teeth. My dentist has only hard guards. I feel that I need a medium guard, but that may not be best either. From gum and muscle soreness, bacteria can set in causing a second level problem.

First my dentist wants to clean over my gums and treat with an oral rinse. Most oral rinses wouldn't interfere with tinnitus. Then after my muscles and gums settle down, he will plain some teeth 5 seconds on 10 seconds. Then he will make a thin mouth guard that will cover all my top teeth. Some like a bottom mouth guard.

None of what I mentioned may be your problem, but grinding or placing pressure on my teeth has added to the problems that you have. Dental trauma could be another possibility. Having jaw opened wide for too long during a dental procedure. If the neck is bend and not relaxed straight to shoulders it could cause problems that we have.
A bend neck, and/or pressure placed on jaw during dental can cause tinnitus or increase it with a high pitch somatic tinnitus. This is how I got somatic T. The high pitch and stress causes me to grind making my situation worse.

Note: Sleeping with neck bend and not straight to shoulders can add to these problems.

 

[Sen]

Thanks for the advice, Greg.

I cannot see a dentist more than my once a year cleaning and checkup, because I am poor and dentists don't treat poor people. I have a hard night guard from several years back that still fits, but when I use it I wake up with headaches and my bite is off. It covers all of my top teeth.

I am finding it difficult to eat even soft food. I had toast this morning and it was incredibly painful.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Try first using a warm towel that @glynis mentions. Trismus related stuff can get more complicated beyond what I had mentioned. Let's hope that it's just temporary and will go away by just using a warm towel. Although I'm not saying not to see a specialist as Glynis also mentioned in her other post on this thread.

I know that this is stressful, it's one of my problems too. You may have other associated T problems as well. It's all unfair, but whatever.

 

[glynis]

@Sen,
Try wearing your guard for 48 hours and take it out to eat.
See if it helps.
I ended up with a day and night guard for many years and they adjusted it filing off a bit every few months.
Love glynis

 

[Sen]

It isn't getting better. I am starting to get more dizzy. The tension and feeling of pseudo-numbness on my face on the affected side is worse. My tinnitus on that side is also much louder than before.

Feeling of pressure inside my head is getting worse, turning into a constant mild headache.

I dread mealtime. Eating and brushing my teeth are so difficult.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Sen Isn't there any way to see a dentist? We can point out possible problems that you may have already considered, but it's best with this ongoing problem to try to get medical help. I wish that I could help, we all do. We can listen and offer moral support, but it's hard to know actually what the problem is without examination. It may be a simple infection or something else that would require more treatment.

 

[Sen]

Tingling all over my scalp.

 

[Luman]

I believe that my tinnitus may be related to TMD (AKA TMJ) problems. I saw my dentist on Wed., he recommended warm compress on my jaw and face for five minutes several times a day, rinsing the mouth with warm salt water, isometric exercises by having your hands push up on your jaw as you push it (the jaw) down, and taking a NSIAD. I sleep with my mouth open, so I don't think I grind my teeth. I'm going back in 2 weeks. He said that I may be prescribed a mouth guard. The warm compress is very good. Good luck, I know this is is difficult.

 

[Sen]

It feels like there is a piece of rubber caught in the right side of my jaw. I feel it when I bite down. It feels like it is pushing my jaw into a neutral open position.

 

[Sen]

@Sen Isn't there any way to see a dentist? We can point out possible problems that you may have already considered, but it's best with this ongoing problem to try to get medical help. I wish that I could help, we all do. We can listen and offer moral support, but it's hard to know actually what the problem is without examination. It may be a simple infection or something else that would require more treatment.

Dentists don't treat poor people.

I will go see a dentist, but first I need to know who's paying for it, because I sure as fuck can't. I already saw them for a cleaning and checkup last month, and that's my dental budget for the year.

 

[Sen]

Ok I booked an appointment for the end of the month.

So what's the plan now?

I go into the dentist. He looks at my jaw. He prescribes me a $1000 splint that I can't pay for. He tells me to go get physiotherapy that I can't pay for. Then I tell the dentist that I can't pay him either. I am removed from the building because I have no money.

Is that the plan?

Fuck the world.

 

[glynis]

Hi @Sen,
It could be a bit of cartilage slipping out of place in your jaw joint causing you the problem.
Could your doctor refur you to a jaw specialist?
I do understand though it all costs money.
Love glynis

 

[Sen]

Could your doctor refur you to a jaw specialist?

He would tell me to go to the dentist. If he did refer me to a jaw specialist, I would still have to pay the jaw specialist. I have no money to pay for any treatment.

This world is sadistic and doesn't care what happens to anyone. What is the point in living like this?

 

[glynis]

I know how your causes problems as had to wear a mouth splint for many years day and night and had to have them altered at the hospital.
Many years later a night guard made of rubber was done and also said I was a candidate for jaw surgery on both sides of jaw and wired for a while .
Love glynis

 

[Sen]

I know how your causes problems as had to wear a mouth splint for many years day and night and had to have them altered at the hospital.
Many years later a night guard made of rubber was done and also said I was a candidate for jaw surgery on both sides of jaw and wired for a while .
Love glynis

Wow, all of those treatments sound great. Too bad they cost thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Do you have any advice on how I can buy all of that shit when I can barely afford to buy food?

 

[butterfly75]

It feels like there is a piece of rubber caught in the right side of my jaw. I feel it when I bite down. It feels like it is pushing my jaw into a neutral open position.

It sounds like something that makes it incredibly difficult to relax and find comfort in regular things like eating and chewing. I hope what's causing it is discovered and someone finally tries to provide you with alleviation. You shouldn't have to suffer like this when there could be an easy solution to fix whatever medical issue this is caused by.

 

[Sen]

It sounds like something that makes it incredibly difficult to relax and find comfort in regular things like eating and chewing. I hope what's causing it is discovered and someone finally tries to provide you with alleviation. You shouldn't have to suffer like this when there could be an easy solution to fix whatever medical issue this is caused by.

Yeah, too bad I have no way to get it looked at properly.

 

[butterfly75]

Yeah, too bad I have no way to get it looked at properly.

I really wish there was something that could be done for you. I understand your frustration when you explain that going to an orthodontist would be pointless in your situation because they could only offer you a treatment you can't afford. I'm sorry you're struggling so horribly.

 

[Sen]

Yup. Add on top of that living with an abusive family and a dozen other health problems and it makes me wonder how I haven't hanged myself with a belt yet. But it's looking mighty appealing these days.

 

[butterfly75]

Yup. Add on top of that living with an abusive family and a dozen other health problems and it makes me wonder how I haven't hanged myself with a belt yet.

Absolutely noone cares in this world.

I want to find something encouraging to say but I know that being sanguine won't change your situation and even begin to mend any of the things you're facing. You don't deserve an abusive family and you don't deserve any of these medical conditions that take the ease and happiness out of your life. The world is filled with an incredible amount of pain and I really don't think there's any reason for it. I'm sorry you were given these life circumstances and have such little options for improving everything. Even though you want things to get better. I'm in the same place. There's really only one reason why I'm still alive, a few family members, but I don't think I can hold on much longer no matter what, but if I can help another person before I wish that I could that, but I know there's not much I can do.

 

[butterfly75]

Forgive me for venting by the way. Don't want to take over your thread.

 

[Sen]

Forgive me for venting by the way. Don't want to take over your thread.

It's no problem. I understand. I really hope you start feeling better. =(