San Ramon Cosmetic Dentistry Blog | Sean Michael Anderson, D.D.S.

Ongoing facial pain afflicts over 15% of Americans. Manifestations of facial pain include discomfort in or around the ear, jaw tenderness, clicking or popping when opening the mouth and head and neck pain. I frequently see patients complaining of jaw pain in my dental office.

Joints and jaw muscles allow correct opening and closing of the mouth. These muscles and ligaments and the mandible (lower jaw) with its two temporomandibular joints are essential to many functions. Located on each side of the head in front of the ear, the temporomandibular joints’ movements include the rotating and gliding actions we require when speaking and chewing. Anything the keeps these elements from performing their proper function may cause facial pain.

Factors leading to facial pain include:

• Bite misalignment
• Tooth grinding
• Stress

Some treatment options are:
• Correction of jaw misalignment
• Stress-reducing exercises
• Muscle relaxants
• Mouth protectors for teeth grinding

If you or a loved one is experiencing jaw or facial pain or other painful TMD symptoms, don’t just live with the pain. If you live in San Ramon, California or any surrounding area of San Ramon, please call 925-837-4486 to make an appointment with Dr. Sean Anderson today.