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Do I Need To See A Specialist For My Jaw Pain?

Posted on 2/6/2023 by Dr. Chad Rebhun

Studies show that jaw pain happens more frequently than you can imagine. About 10% of American adults suffer from jaw pain occasionally, while another 10% of Americans suffer from chronic jaw pain. If you are suffering from jaw pain, you need to know when you can handle jaw pain on your own and when you need to see a specialist. Here is a jaw pain guide.

When Should I See A Specialist?

Deciding whether or not to see a specialist can be difficult. Here is a simple guide to help you figure out when your jaw pain is something you need to see a specialist about.

If you are running a fever that may be tied to your jaw pain. If you are running a fever of over 100.5, you need to have your jaw pain checked out by a dental specialist. You may also notice other symptoms along with the fever, such as a swollen area in the jaw, intense pain in one area of your jaw, or blood and pus in your mouth. You may have an infection in one or more of your teeth, also called an abscess. If you are worried you have an abscess, you need to see a specialist as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing pain along your jaw joint, or your temporomandibular joint, there are a couple of things you can try to make the pain better before you visit a dental specialist. First, you may want to try anti-inflammatory medication. Second, you can apply ice to the outside of your jaw to ease the pain and swelling. However, if your jaw joint pain is added to difficulty moving your jaw up and down or side to side, you may need to see a specialist.

What if you are having jaw pain in the morning when you wake up, accompanied by a headache, you may have bruxism. You may be grinding or clenching your teeth at night. You can try over-the-counter mouth guards you wear at night while you're sleeping. If your jaw pain continues, you may need to see a specialist to get night guards specifically to get night guards fitted to your mouth.

Dental Blog | Optimum Oral Surgery Group
At Optimum Oral Surgery Group, Dr. Donald G. Rebhun has created this informative blog to help educate the community. Read the dental blog posts here.
Optimum Oral Surgery, 21 E Main Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057 ^ (856) 437-4432 ^ optimumoralsurgery.com ^ 3/24/2023 ^ Tags: oral surgeon Moorestown Voorhees Mullica Hill ^