You've never had jaw pain before, and suddenly, one side of your mouth is hurting, while the other feels completely fine. What could be going on?
Causes of Single Side Jaw Pain
There are a variety of causes that could be behind jaw pain that is just affecting one side of your face:
Abscess. This condition will occur when nodules inside of the mouth become infected, inflamed, and full of pus.
Arthritis of the jaw. Inflammation of the jaw joint could be the cause of your jaw pain, and it may only affect one side of your mouth.
Bad habits. Chewing on pens or biting nails could result in inflammation, causing jaw pain.
Bone spurs. New bone growth could disrupt arteries, veins, nerve, and muscle arrangement in the jaw joint.
Bruxism. This condition occurs when you frequently clench and grind your teeth, which often occurs while you are sleeping. It can lead to jaw pain on one or both sides.
Gum infection. An infection can cause a break in the gums, and the infection can travel all the way to the nerve, which causes jaw pain.
Malocclusion. If your bite is crooked and your teeth are not properly spaced, chewing could be affected, causing jaw pain.
TMJ. This problem manifests as an inability to properly close and open the jaw.
Trauma to the jaw. If you experience trauma to the jaw, possibly from being hit in the face, the injury can cause the joint to dislocate.
Tumors. Tumors can put pressure onto the nerves on one side of the facing, causing jaw pain.
Ultimately, a visit to your dentist will be the only way that you can properly diagnose what is causing your jaw pain and to find an appropriate treatment method. Contact our office today to find out what is going on inside of your mouth.