Have you recently noticed that your jaw has been hurting on just one side of your mouth? Uncovering the culprit behind any kind of mouth pain can be difficult, especially when you’re actively dealing with discomfort.
Your emergency dentist can help you in diagnosing the issue, but it can be helpful to try and develop a working theory for what the problem might be before you see them. To help you do that, here are some of the most common conditions that can cause jaw pain on one side of your mouth.
Dental Abscess
Dental abscesses are small, pus-filled pockets that form on the gums in response to infection. Such infections are usually severe enough to have reached deep inside the tooth’s root, and as a result, tend to be incredibly painful.
This pain may be severe enough to make it feel like your entire face hurts, or it may radiate outward from the abscess itself into the rest of the face. If the culprit is a dental abscess, you should be experiencing other symptoms of oral infection as well, such as irritation around the infected tooth.
Sinusitis
People typically think of their dentists as having singular expertise in people’s teeth, but they actually have a fairly good understanding of the entire face & how each part of it works together. That knowledge is necessary because the face is incredibly complicated.
The sinuses are a great example of that. These passageways are located all over the face, and some of the largest ones are seated next to the mouth. As a result, an infection in the sinuses may feel like you have a toothache, or pain on one side of your face.
Of course, this will be associated with some symptoms that are unusual for a toothache, like a runny nose or a cough.
Cavity
Tooth decay is the most common chronic condition among Americans, so most people are likely to develop one at some point. Severe cavities can reach deep into the tooth, which can cause pain that may feel like it’s coming from the jaw itself.
If the pain you feel gets worse when exposed to the air, or when eating something sweet, this could be the culprit.
About the Author
Dr. Jennifer Pham’s favorite thing about her field is how it lets her combine her understanding of science with her artistic eye to produce beautiful restorations for her patients. She learns something new every day and works hard to put that expanding knowledge to work for her patients. Dr. Pham received her dental degree from the Temple University School of Dentistry, and she continues her education with the prestigious Las Vegas Institute.
If you have any questions about jaw pain, she can be reached at her website or by phone at (703) 666-3867.