When you jaw is misaligned, your jaw joints and muscles play a tug-of-war game as they fight between alignment (the joint’s side) and comfort (the muscle’s side).
Over time your jaw muscles become tired and tight, putting pressure on the nerves that run through them. This could be what??s causing that sharp, mysterious pain in your ear and head. Your next step? Find the right Racine dentist.
TMJ clues
TMJ can present itself with a myriad of symptoms:
- Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw, neck, shoulders,or around your ear when you move your jaw to chew, speak, or open your mouth.
- Limited range of motion in your jaw or an inability to open your mouth very wide
- Jaws that get “locked” in an open or closed position
- Strange sounds like clicking, popping, grating sounds in your jaws when you chew, open or close your mouth.
- A tired feeling in your face
- Toothaches
- Headaches?
- Neck aches
- Dizziness
- Earaches
- Hearing problems
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitis).
With the correct treatment, your sharp pains could be a thing of the past
TMJ can be complicated to diagnose and a dentist trained in neuromuscular dentistry is your best bet. In order for your dentist to treat your condition properly, he or she will do a thorough examination of your jaw. A correct diagnosis is critical to make sure you get the right treatment. TMJ treatments can range from
- Over the counter pain relievers
- Stretching and relaxation exercises
- Hot and cold compresses
- Chiropractic care
- Orthotics
- Orthodontics
- Restoration of worn, broken, cracked or missing teeth
Find out if your TMJ is the culprit
Do you think your sharp ear pain may be caused by TMJ? Here’s a simple way to check into it fairly easy. Take my TMj questionnaire and I’ll give you a free, no-obligations recommendation. It’s a simple, easy way to start down the road to recovery.