Do you feel pain in your face?

If you feel pain in your face near your ear, cheek, jaw, jawbone, jaw joint, or side teeth, but dentists cannot find the faulty tooth, it is highly likely that the source of the pain is your chewing muscles or joints.

What causes pain in the chewing muscles and jaw joints? We have probably heard many times that “when things got tough, I gritted my teeth and got through it”. It is believed that many people clench their teeth when they feel stress, anxiety or when making decisions. However, we all do it to varying degrees. If we are more sensitive, we feel constant tension at work or in life in general. At night, stress is less controllable and can manifest itself in teeth grinding. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown. It is believed to be a phenomenon of the central nervous system or a form of sleep disorder. However, most agree that psychological stress is the determining factor.

Constant grinding or clenching of teeth (see “Prevention of the consequences of teeth grinding”) leads to faster tooth wear (see “Prevention and treatment of tooth wear”), pain in the chewing muscles and jaw joints. Patients complain of headaches, facial pain (most often in the preauricular area), difficulty opening the mouth and chewing, and noises in the joint. If this is accompanied by malocclusion (misaligned teeth), the symptoms may worsen. This is similar to wearing unsuitable shoes: you have to walk a lot, but your shoes are poorly made, so your feet hurt. Previous head and neck injuries can contribute to the development of disorders of the chewing muscles and joints.

If symptoms of this nature occur, you should consult a competent specialist to determine the cause and receive help. Otherwise, a vicious circle forms: pain in the head, face or joints causes additional anxiety, i.e. fear of serious head-related diseases. Once the pain becomes chronic, treatment is less successful.