Hyderabad: Do you have a shooting pain in the jaw? Do you hear a clicking sound while opening and closing the mouth? If so, meet a dentist as you could be suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or jaw joint problems. It is very common amongst people in the 35-60 age group too. The problem is more prevalent in women than in men.
The reason for the shooting pain just below the ear is due to eating foods that are very hard, bone defects where the jaws are dislocated, imbalance in the upper and lower teeth, weakness of the facial muscles, arthritis and also stress. In present times, it is also linked to excessive filling and artificial tooth caps.
Too much pouting, clenching is bad
Mouth clenching, pouting or always maintaining a particular pose of the face which is not natural are also some of the causes for TMJ. People who copy the pouting style of models and actors do not realise that they are giving stress to the lower joint and it could result in a disorder. Dr Rohit Kandlikar, consultant dental surgeon at Care Hospitals explained, “A particular pose of the face could cause tension in the jaw and also stress out the muscles around the jaw. Hence, it is important to maintain the natural position of the face. TMJ is also one of the prominent causes for obstructive sleep apnea or sleeping disorders. All the treatments work towards bringing down the hyper activity of the muscles in the face resulting in tremendous relief from the pain.”
Treatment involves simple things like not keeping the mouth wide open, not chewing on one side, doing jaw exercises, eating soft foods and also corrections in the jaw and teeth if any.
Pain and stress, a vicious cycle
Pain below the ear on either side of the face could start out as a dull pricking pain which is not very severe. Often people mistake it to be the pain in the ear region and are not aware that it is actually emitting from the jaw.
Dr Satyendra Kumar, dental surgeon at Yashoda Hospitals explains, “The stress due to pain aggravates the discomfort. Such is the vicious cycle that the more stress you take, more pain you feel. This cycle requires to be broken with pain management therapy, physiotherapy, voice rest, frequent sips of water, hot fermentation and also proper exercise. At the same time hard and cold foods must be avoided. It is also important that the person does not exert much.”
Set of exercises to be done only after consulting a dentist
* Try putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth, opening your mouth wide with your tongue in place, and breathing in slowly for two counts, and out slowly for two counts. Release and repeat 10 times.
* Take your fist and press against the left side of your jaw, below the hinge. Press your jaw against your fist and maintain a steady pressure. The isometric energy should relax the muscles in your jaw. Hold for 10 seconds, release 10 times and repeat on the opposite side of your jaw.
* Press against your jaw with one finger on each side. Apply pressure evenly to both sides. Open the jaw very slowly and do not allow the jaw to click. If your jaw clicks, release and start again, opening more slowly. The pressure on each side should allow your jaw to open and close in correct alignment.
* Once your jaw is relaxed and aligned, hold your chin between your thumb and pointer finger. Very carefully and loosely, shake your chin back and forth, allowing your jaw to relax and release. Do not attempt this exercise if it causes you pain. Continue until your jaw feels loose, aligned and relaxed.These exercises can be done once in a day.
