When wisdom teeth are on the verge of coming out, they cause immense pain in your jaw. This is because they are the third set of molars that grow inside the end of your mouth. It is mainly their position that alerts them when something is wrong. For instance, if your jaw starts throbbing out of the blue, it could indicate the wisdom tooth is preparing to erupt. Whereas if there is pulsating pain in your jaw, it might be due to dental infection or tooth impaction. So, if your wisdom is also being a pain in the jaw, keep reading this blog to discover the causes and treatments for this condition.
Can A Wisdom Tooth Make Your Jaw Hurt?
Given the position of wisdom teeth, there is bound to be pain and discomfort in your jaw when they erupt. In fact, the pain might even travel across from the jaw to your ear and head, resulting in serious headaches.
Essentially, wisdom tooth pain in the jaw can give way to swelling and stiffness. It can also limit the movement of your mouth, making it extremely difficult to open wide or chew food.
Causes of Wisdom Tooth Pain in Jaw
It might seem simple enough, but there are a lot of layers and causes behind jaw pain. Sometimes it is due to an impacted wisdom tooth; other times, it isn’t even remotely related to your molars. To better understand pain and its different causes, take a look below.
1. Impacted Wisdom Tooth
An impacted wisdom tooth occurs when the tooth coming in is slightly crooked, with half of its body popping out and the other half buried underneath the gums. This imbalance can be quite dangerous since impaction only happens when the tooth grows at the wrong angle. If proper care is not taken, the wisdom tooth could negatively impact your jawline.
2. Gum Disease
Leaving an impacted wisdom tooth as it is may result in gum disease. This is because bacteria easily gets trapped between the gum flap and the tooth, leading to infection and gingivitis. Ultimately, the pain from inflamed gums can evolve and travel to your jaw, causing a severe outcome.
3. TMJ-associated Pain
Wisdom tooth pain is never just limited to one tooth. It also affects the surrounding teeth, which is why it can feel like your entire mouth is in pain. Moreover, a wisdom tooth growing sideways is more likely to cause TMJ-associated pain. It could develop as a result of the mandibular disc shifting from its place, given the pressure and jaw stiffness.
Wisdom Teeth Removal: Is It Helpful?
Although there are various reasons why wisdom tooth pain arises in your jaw, the treatment is often a shared response: extraction. But does removing wisdom teeth help solve the problem, or does it somehow make it worse?
Well, the truth is that wisdom tooth extraction is the best possible solution to unwanted jaw pain. It also rids you of any discomfort you may feel when trying to open your mouth or eating. Getting rid of the problem tooth, especially if it is impacted, can make a huge difference in your oral health.
Closing Word
To sum it up, the wisdom tooth pain in your jaw is most probably due to a dental infection or an impacted wisdom tooth. Unless you get it professionally evaluated, there may be a handful of restrictions in your day-to-day life, making it difficult to manage.
Nonetheless, for a proper diagnosis and checkup, contact Rock Creek Oral Surgery at (832) 930-7801. You can also visit us and our experienced staff at 14119 Grant Road, Suite 140, Cypress, TX 77429, near Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.