Tooth and jaw pain is often caused by misalignment of the jaw, which can be caused by injury or a sudden change in the way your face is holding its shape. When you have a toothache, your instinct tells you that you need to see a dentist. However, you may also need a chiropractor. A chiropractor can help with this type of pain because they have more experience dealing with misalignments in the jaw, specifically cross-jaw pain. In fact, most dental professionals will refer patients who are having problems with their teeth to a chiropractor from https://foundationswell.com/ for treatment as well.
Chiropractors are medical doctors who specialize in healing through manual therapy (as opposed to surgery). They study how specific parts of the body interact with each other and how those interactions affect health.
In this article, we will discuss the most common hidden causes of tooth and jaw pain that can be treated either by your dentist or your chiropractor.
Infection
Infection is a common cause of tooth and jaw pain. When bacteria enter the mouth, they travel through the bloodstream to the bone. Infection can occur in any bone and often occurs when bacteria enter through an injury or through a crack in the gum line. The most common types of infections include gingivitis and periodontitis, both of which occur when your gums become inflamed. If left untreated, this condition can turn into an abscess or serious infection that requires surgical intervention.
Tooth abscess
A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that forms on the root surface of the tooth. Tooth abscesses are usually caused by infection and can be very painful. They tend to occur in people with poor oral hygiene, such as those with diabetes or those who smoke.
Tooth abscesses are often left untreated because they are painless when they form, but they can become infected if not treated promptly. The most common cause of tooth abscesses is bacteria from dental plaque trapped between the teeth and gums. This can be prevented by regular flossing and brushing your teeth twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste.
Tooth fracture
The most common cause of tooth fracture is the trauma of chewing on hard objects like ice, meat, or vegetables. Teeth are continually subjected to high pressure in the mouth and can crack easily.
If you suspect you have a fractured tooth, consult your dentist as soon as possible. He or she can examine the problem and after that determine whether the tooth has healed or not. If it has not healed properly, chances are that it may break again.
A broken tooth is painful and difficult to eat from because it prevents food from entering the mouth properly. In some cases, this can lead to an infection in your gums and jaw bones if not treated properly.
Tooth decay
Another hidden cause of pain in the jaw or mouth is tooth decay. This occurs when bacteria feed on carbohydrates in foods, and sugars begin to ferment in the mouth. When this happens, acids are produced which wear away the enamel on your teeth.
Jaw joint pain
Jaw joint pain is a common condition that affects the joints of your jaw. It can be caused by stress on the jaw joint, injury to the joint or bone, or arthritis. If you have persistent jaw joint pain that does not go away with treatment, see your doctor or a chiropractor. This may be due to an underlying medical condition.
TMJ (jaw disorder)
Another hidden cause of tooth and jaw pain is TMJ disorder (temporomandibular joint disorder). Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jaw to your skull, allowing them to move up and down together during chewing motions or speech articulation. When you have TMJ disorder, one or more of these joints start to wear out prematurely due to inflammation caused by arthritis or injury.
Aging
Your jaw muscles can weaken as you age, which can lead to a variety of problems including tooth and jaw pain. Aging is the biggest cause of tooth and jaw pain, especially for people over 50. The teeth and jaws begin to lose their strength as you age, making them more susceptible to injury or disease.
Gum disease
If you have gum disease, there's a higher risk of developing toothache as well as other oral health problems such as bad breath, bleeding gums and swollen lymph nodes in the neck (submandibular gland). Gum disease can cause pain in the jaws and an overall feeling of discomfort. It may also make it difficult to eat or speak clearly. In extreme cases, gum disease can lead to tooth loss or tooth decay, which is called periodontitis.
Gum disease occurs when you have plaque — a slimy film of bacteria — on your teeth for too long. Plaque is made up of food particles and saliva left behind when you eat or drink something sweet. When plaque hardens into tartar, it can irritate the gums and tendons that attach your gums to your teeth (periodontal ligament). If this happens along with inflammation around the sides of your mouth, gingivitis occurs — a mild form of gum disease characterized by redness around your mouth caused by inflamed gum tissue that's irritated by plaque or food particles stuck between the gum line and tooth surface.
Hidden mouth cancers
What is hidden mouth cancer? These are cancers that grow in the mouth but are not visible to the naked eye. Mouth cancer accounts for more than 10% of all cancers in the United States. Mouth cancer is a type of oral cancer that starts in tissues inside the mouth (oral cavity). This type of cancer affects men and women equally, although it is more common among men.
Studies have shown that poor oral hygiene habits may increase your risk of developing oral cancer or head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is also known as oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Oral cancer develops due to damage or destruction of supporting structures within your mouth or throat (pharynx) caused by tobacco use, poor diet, alcohol use, and genetics.
How to seek relief?
Visiting a dentist is the first step in ensuring that you get relief from tooth and jaw pain. After all, it's the only place where they can diagnose and treat your condition. In most cases, you will get relief from a visit to a dentist. A dentist can assess your symptoms, provide appropriate treatment and give advice on how to prevent the recurrence of the problem.
You can also visit a chiropractor, yes you heard that right! Chiropractors can also help aid the pain of teeth and jaws. Spinal adjustment treatments and/or massage therapy can help reduce muscle tension and stress in the face and jaws, which often lead to tooth or jaw pain.