Jaw pain near the ear can range from mild discomfort to intense and debilitating. Pain often affects the ear and jaw at the same time because they are so closely connected. There are a few reasons for jaw pain near the ear, including mouth or ear infections, joint injury, and TMJ disorder. Sometimes the pain might resolve itself quickly. However, as pain is often the body’s way of signaling something wrong, see a healthcare provider if the pain is severe or lasts for more than a week. A doctor or dentist will take into account your health history to establish the reason. Read on to discover potential causes of jaw pain near the ear, treatment options, and preventative measures.
What Does Jaw Pain Feel like?
Jaw pain might feel like an ache, severe pain or stiffness in your jaw bone and/or around your ears. The pain can be dull or sharp, and can be triggered by talking, yawning, chewing, or even the smallest movement. Jaw pain might feel like:
- Throbbing pain or ache
- Severe pain in your jaw that may radiate to your ear
- A clicking or popping sound when you move your jaw
- Jaw stiffness
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Headaches or migraines
- Ringing in the ears
Causes of Jaw Pain Near Ear
If you are experiencing jaw pain near your ear it may be caused by a number of factors. A medical condition in your jaw, mouth or ear could be causing the pain. Alternatively, it could be referred pain where there is a source of pain in another part of the body but felt as jaw pain. If feeling jaw pain near the ear it could be caused by any of the following.
TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder refers to a disorder in the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that acts like a hinge connecting the jawbone to the skull. These joints are on both sides of the head in front of the ears, and allow jaw movement to chew, talk, swallow and yawn. When these joints become inflamed or painful, it is called TMJ disorder. It is one of the most common causes of jaw pain. With a TMJ disorder, it may be hard to open your mouth, the jaw may click or even lock. There are a number of reasons TMJ disorder can develop, from jaw trauma to wear and tear or medical conditions. In the majority of cases, TMJ disorder is temporary and can be relieved with non-surgical care like over-the-counter medications, relaxation therapies and non-invasive procedures like Botox.
Tooth grinding
Tooth grinding is also known as bruxism, and is an involuntary clenching or grinding of the teeth. Tooth grinding can occur when awake or asleep and can be the catalyst for jaw pain near the ear. When people grind their teeth, it places stress on the face, jaw and neck and can lead to significant discomfort in the ear and jaw. Further pain can be caused by tooth grinding impacting teeth alignment, muscle strain or breakdown of the TMJ.
Sternocleidomastoid pain
The sternocleidomastoid is the thick muscle that extends from below the ear to the collarbone. As well as helping you bend your neck and tilt your head, it also helps you to open your mouth. That is because it supports the TMJ, the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. If the sternocleidomastoid muscle is injured, jaw and ear pain can follow.
Osteoarthritis
The most common type of arthritis in the TMJ is osteoarthritis. It develops from gradual wear and tear to the cartilage surrounding the joint. It triggers stiffness in the joint that eventually leads to pain around the ear and jaw.
Rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis
Rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis can cause pain in the jaw, under the ear or in the ear. These are both autoimmune conditions that damage healthy joints and cause swelling, stiffness and pain. Discomfort in the jaw, near the ear or in the ear could be caused by either of these autoimmune diseases where the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body by mistake.
Migraine
Migraines are intense headaches that can cause pain to radiate down to the ears, mouth, jaw and neck. They are often associated with TMJ disorder as people with TMJ disorder often experience migraines, while people with migraines often have associated jaw pain.
Swimmer’s ear
A swimmer’s ear, otherwise known as external otitis, is an infection of the ear canal that is usually not associated with swimming. It is actually a bacterial or fungal infection in the ear that can cause a secondary pain in the jaw because of their close proximity. An ear infection caused by water or fluid buildup can create pressure which causes pain under the ear and behind the jawbone.
Dental issues
Dental issues can be wide and varied but some can lead to pain in the jaw and ears. An abscessed tooth will most likely have infected roots that can affect neighbouring bone tissue like the jawbone, and cause significant jaw pain. Teeth that have cavities, are cracked or crowded can cause transferred pain, as can wisdom teeth or teeth that are misaligned. Gum disease can cause significant damage to the jawbone, which in turn leads to pain.
Sinusitis
This is an infection that affects the cavities in your bones, forehead and behind your eyes and nose. When your sinuses are infected, they can affect the nerves in your teeth and upper jaw. That is because the largest sinuses are in a pair above the back teeth or your upper jaw and the upper teeth roots are close to this sinus cavity. When the sinuses are inflamed it can cause pain in the nearby teeth and jawbone.
Diagnosis
If the jaw pain near your ear is from an injury, is interfering with everyday life, or if it has not subsided after a week, please seek medical advice from a healthcare professional. By diagnosing the cause of the jaw pain, your dentist will be able to work out a suitable treatment plan. The following process will help diagnose the cause of jaw pain near the ear.
- Consultation and physical examination: The dentist will ask you about your medical and dental history, and then perform a physical examination of the jaw and surrounding muscles to see if there are any clicking, popping or grinding sounds during movement. The dentist will listen to and feel your jaw when you open and close your mouth, and observe the range of motion in your jaw. They will also press on certain areas of your jaw to see if there is any discomfort.
- Digital imaging: A full mouth X-ray will be performed to see if there is any joint of bone damage. It will also show how your teeth bite together to detect any misalignment or advanced wear and tear. The dentist may also organise a CT scan to provide detailed images of the joint bones, or an MRI to see if there are any soft tissue problems.
- Dental evaluation: If any dental problems are discovered, the dentist will recommend an orthodontic evaluation to check your bite or any issues with teeth or jaw alignment.
Treatment Options
Depending on the diagnosis and severity of the jaw and ear pain, there are a variety of treatment options to choose from. These include:
- Home remedies: If the jaw and ear pain is only mild, try applying heat packs, stretching and massaging your jaw or eating soft food.
- Medications: Some pain medications like anti-inflammatories can help treat jaw pain near the ear. These could include over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen or stronger pain medications prescribed by a healthcare provider.
- Botox: Botox is a muscle relaxant that blocks certain chemical signals from nerves that cause muscles to contract. It is sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of TMJ disorders which can cause jaw pain near the ear. Botox is injected into the masseter and temporalis muscles, which are the muscles that are responsible for closing the jaw from an open position. Sometimes it may be injected into the lateral pterygoid muscles, the muscles that allow you to open your mouth and move it from side to side. Botox injections can relax the jaw, reduce the pain and allow you to open your jaw properly.
- Occlusal splint: An occlusal splint, also known as a night guard, is designed to protect teeth from clenching habits that can lead to jaw pain. It is a custom made hard plastic appliance that fits over the upper teeth and helps safeguard natural teeth, crowns and implants from cracking due to grinding habits. It aligns the jaw in a more comfortable position which can reduce pain and inflammation in the TMJ and surrounding muscles.
- Therapies: Some therapies can help ease jaw pain near the ear. Wearing mouthguards while sleeping combined with physical therapy is used to increase the jaw muscle’s strength and flexibility, leading to less pain. Other therapies include ultrasound, a non-invasive technique that uses sound waves to stimulate healing. There is also the minimally invasive dental laser therapy which can reduce inflammation, alleviate pain and promote tissue regeneration in the jaw joint area.
- Counselling: If you are prone to teeth clenching or grinding which might be related to stress, counselling and education can help understand this behaviour which may be causing your jaw pain.
- Surgery: For those with TMJ disorders that are severe and less invasive procedures fail to work, there are a number of surgical options. These are arthrocentesis, arthroscopy, and open joint surgery. Arthrocentesis is a minimally invasive procedure that is done by injecting fluid into the joint. This washes out the inflammation and helps reduce the pressure that is causing the joint to be painful and stiff. Arthroscopy is less invasive than full open surgery, as it uses small holes to insert the cannula and arthroscope which will then perform the surgery. Finally, open joint surgery involves creating an incision so the surgeon can openly operate on the joint.
How to Prevent Jaw Pain
Jaw pain can be extremely uncomfortable, so trying to prevent it before it begins is important. Here are some tips to help you prevent jaw pain:
- Reduce stress: Try relaxation methods like meditation or yoga to help loosen and relax your jaw. Reducing stress can alleviate the tendency to clench the jaw which causes pain.
- Exercise your jaw: Jaw exercise can help increase flexibility in the jaw joint. A gentle exercise you can do is slowly opening and closing your mouth while keeping the teeth apart and the tongue on the roof of the mouth. This allows the jaw to relax. You can also try chin tucks, goldfish exercises and even resistance exercises to try and prevent jaw pain.
- Good night’s sleep: Getting a good night’s sleep does wonders for all aspects of health. For jaw pain prevention, sleep on your back and use pillows to support your neck, trying not to put any pressure on your jaw.
- Avoid certain foods: Avoid foods that are hard to chew or use a lot of jaw movement. This includes chewy, crunchy or hard foods. When you do eat, try to take small bites to avoid aggravating the jaw.
- Correct your posture: Poor posture can increase your risk of jaw pain if you are predisposed. If you are sitting for long periods of time in one position, make sure you get up and move around to correct your posture.
Pain in the jaw near the ear can be extremely unpleasant and could be caused by a number of issues. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause so it is important to identify the root problem if you are experiencing relentless pain in the jaw and ear. Our article breaks down everything about jaw pain near the ear to help you understand treatment options and preventative measures. The team at Hawthorn Road Family Dental are always on hand to answer any of your questions.
