My jaw started to hurt last week on the left side and it has been getting more and more painful. This morning I can barely chew my toast ... do I go to a doctor or a dentist?
2007-03-12 20:31:37 · 12 answers · asked by Funky Little Spacegirl 6 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
Sorry to be thick, but what is TMJ?
2007-03-12 20:41:56 · update #1
Thank you all for your advice - I've been to the doctor and it is a severe ear infection that has caused swelling right down the left side of my face and into my jaw.
At least I'm off work for the rest of the week, even if I do feel awful, woohoo!
2007-03-12 23:27:25 · update #2
Doctor I guess. Jaw pains usually doesn't have any connections with teeth problems.
2007-03-12 20:35:28 · answer #1 · answered by Cheng Zhi Lim 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
temporal mandibular joint, its where you jaw connects to your head. pain with chewing usually indicates a problem with the TMJ. i'm guessing you know what tooth ache feels like and its not that. I'd head for the dentist first however, tooth problems lead to an altered bite and tmj problems. they can also be caused by being hit in the face, sleeping on it funny or chewing hard. usually they settle down on their own. can also see a physio!! strange but true. if you stick your fingers in your ears and push forward towards your eyes you can feel your tmj. do this then open and close your mouth, the joints should move equally, you may notice one moving less that the other, this can cause you pain. is possible to mobilise this joint yourself, if this is the problem and want to know how to do that let me know
2007-03-12 22:11:22 · answer #2 · answered by Graeme T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
TMJ = the Temporo-Mandibular Joint. See this website:
http://www.tmj.org/
With that, your jaw seems to lock and you have to wiggle it to free it. My daughter has it. It's basically a problem with the ligaments.
Yours may not be this, it could be a simple toothache, or a wisdom tooth trying to come through. I'd try dentist first, they're specialised in all mouth related problems anyway.
2007-03-12 20:49:25 · answer #3 · answered by chip2001 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say dentist first, could be an abscess starting.
If your teeth are cleared, then a doctor to rule out TMJ problems.
2007-03-12 20:35:13 · answer #4 · answered by RM 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dentist - sounds like an abscess - I've had plenty!
TMJ = Teeth, Mouth & Jaw
2007-03-12 20:49:20 · answer #5 · answered by MAdFool 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Go to the Doctor. You may have a blocked saliva gland. One quick way to check is to get something sour like lemon drops or the Altoids Sours candy and if that seems to relieve the pain, it more than likely is a blockage.
2007-03-12 20:46:49 · answer #6 · answered by tnlongyrs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
personally I would go to my dentist. Usually when you have pain biting on a tooth you will find there is an abscess forming. You probably need to take some penicillin
2007-03-12 20:44:25 · answer #7 · answered by schnauzer2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes my dear you should visit the doctor first instead of dentist as there is much possibility of getting in the tetanic(tetnaus) like condition as you have described.
2007-03-12 20:58:37 · answer #8 · answered by kush 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if your jaw "locks" sometimes it could be tmj. that would be something a dentist would take care of.
2007-03-12 20:37:10 · answer #9 · answered by Amy A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah u will have to go to the dentist and they will probably take Ur tooth out or give u medicine
2007-03-12 20:40:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋