TMJ or Abscess: Differentiating the Pain
No one enjoys a tooth ache and mouth pain can quickly become unbearable, causing patients to seek dental help. It can be helpful to understand the different types of pain so that patients know what type of pain is more urgent. Of course, every patient should seek the help of their dental professional when pain occurs as most mouth pain does not go away on its own and needs to be evaluated by a dentist.
Some pains can be confusing and it’s easy to think the cause is one thing when it is really something else. Two pains that are misunderstood and cause for concern with patients are TMJ and abscessed tooth pains. To understand why they can be confused, we must understand what they are.
TMJ, abbreviated from temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders, is pain in the jaw and chewing muscles. It can cause pain when chewing and discomfort in muscles controlling jaw function. Since pain can occur with chewing, many patients associate that to tooth pain.
An abscessed tooth is the converse: its tooth pain that can affect the jaw because of the infection in the tooth. An abscess is the body’s natural defense to stopping infections from spreading. When a tooth is infected, a pus sack forms around the root, usually, and that build up of pus is the abscess and it usually quite painful. It can be a very serious infection which can move outside of the abscess and spread to other parts of the jaw, neck, and head.
Some shared characteristics of both conditions are:
- Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing
- Difficultly opening mouth
- Pain in jaw or face on affected side
Some symptoms indicating an urgent TMJ issue:
- Extreme pain in jaw
- Inability to open mouth
- Difficulty chewing
Some symptoms indicating an urgent issue with an abscess:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Nausea
- Swollen lymph nodes
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Get Help for TMJ Pain in Brentwood Now!
Although both are painful and should be evaluated by a dentist, an abscess is typically more urgent in nature and should be checked as soon as possible. However, if you have determined the pain you are experiencing may be TMJ related, call our dentist at 615-546-0061 right now. You don’t have to live with pain.
