|
See also TMJ
What causes facial pains?
Many people have pains in their face, mouth and jaws at some
point in their lives. Sometimes, it is easy to work out the cause
eg infected teeth. Other times, the causes of the facial pain
can be complex and can include problems of:
-
The jaw joint in front of the ears (called tempromandibular
joint; TMJ) and its associated muscles used for chewing
(masticatory muscles). These can produce the common complaints
of: facial pain, joint clicking or grating, difficulty in
opening your mouth wide and/or jaw locking.
-
The teeth: toothache can feel as if it is in the face;
-
The air sinuses, which are at the sides of your nose, under
the cheeks, near the ears and above and behind the eyes.
-
Migraine, which can give you pain on one or both sides of
the face and other symptoms such as sickness, flashing lights
etc.
-
Trigeminal neuralgia and other severe nerve pains.
What can I do if I have facial pain?
Facial pain, either acute or chronic, can be very distressing.
Do visit your dentist (or doctor) if you are worried.
Once we know the cause of the pain, there are several dental
and other treatments we can offer you. If it is of sudden onset
and is worrying you, it is probably a good idea to seek help soon
by contacting your dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
|
