Why Does My Jaw Only Hurt on One Side?

If you have pain in any part of your body, it can be frustrating and alarming. It might be difficult to know what you should do about it. If you are experiencing jaw pain on one side of your mouth, there are numerous reasons why this could be happening. Many times, this isn’t a serious issue, but you should know when to seek help. Continue reading to learn about some of the reasons why you may be experiencing one-sided jaw pain, so you know when to contact your emergency dentist in Beachwood.

What Are Common Reasons for Jaw Pain?

Dental Issues

If you have pain on one side of your jaw, this can be traced back to your teeth and gums. Dental issues that can cause jaw pain include tooth decay, tooth abscesses, impacted wisdom teeth, gum disease, misaligned teeth, and bruxism. If a dental issue is the reason for your jaw pain, you may also be experiencing some of the following:

• Tooth pain
• Sensitive teeth
• Bleeding, painful gums
• Halitosis
• Pain when chewing or swallowing

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders

These disorders affect the joint that connects your skull and jaw. A disc separates the bones in this joint and helps it to move around properly. If the disc becomes misaligned or the joint is damaged in some way, you could experience pain and other symptoms on one or both sides of your jaw. Other symptoms include tenderness around the jaw, earaches, clicking or popping when chewing or opening your mouth, and difficulty opening and closing it if the joint locks.

Sinusitis

Inflammation in your nasal cavities can cause you to develop sinusitis. This tends to happen if you’ve had a cold, but allergies and other medical conditions can also contribute. If the sinus cavities behind the cheeks become inflamed, you may feel pain in one or both sides of the jaw. Other symptoms include nasal congestion, yellow or green mucus, facial pain, pressure in your ears and head, fatigue, and difficulty smelling or tasting.

What Are Less Common Reasons for Jaw Pain?

Tumors and Cysts

A tumor is a mass of tissue while a cyst is a mass of fluid. Both can cause pain to your jaw, but they are uncommon. A lot of the time, they aren’t cancerous, but they still have an impact on your oral health. They may grow quickly and move your teeth out of place. This can typically be detected during your routine dental X-rays during your 6-month checkups.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

This condition generally results from abnormal pressure on the trigeminal nerve. This can prevent the nerve from functioning properly and lead to severe pain. An injury or brain abnormality can cause this rare condition. It is most common in women and people above age 50 with the most common symptom being severe pain on one side of the face.

Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is a rare, serious type of bone infection that develops when bacteria enter the bone. The jawbone can become at risk after dental surgery, when you have a serious dental issue, or if your mouth is injured. Conditions that affect your immune health can also increase your risk.

If this is the case, prompt treatment with antibiotics can prevent serious medical complications. Other symptoms include fever, swelling of the jaw, redness, and warmth in the area, halitosis, difficulty opening and closing your mouth, and numbness of the jaw or mouth.

Jaw pain isn’t usually an overly concerning issue, but it is still something you should bring up to your dentist in Beachwood. This way, you can get to the root of the problem and find some relief!

About the Practice

At Orange Place Family Dentistry, we understand the importance of creating a relaxing environment for patients of any age. You’ll always benefit from the advanced technology utilized – we even have our own in-house dental lab. If jaw pain on one side of your mouth or another pressing issue ever causes you to seek out an emergency dentist, we are ready to help patients of all ages via same-day emergency appointments. You can schedule one on our website or by calling (216) 464-2448.