Almost all of the dental pains feel the same. However, that is not the case and is only a false perception. You may feel pain around your mouth, thinking that it is because of TMJ, but when you visit the dentist, it turns out to be an infection in the tooth.
Knowing the source of the pain can clearly help you make a contrast between whether the pain arising is because of your teeth or is related to your TMJ. Let us go into the details of the comparison.
How To Distinguish The Pain Symptoms Of TMJ from Tooth Pain?
Here’s how TMJ pain and tooth pain differ:
TMJ Pain
Patients experiencing TMJ pain will have the following symptoms:
Tender Jaw
Your jaw will become very tender to the touch. It could be indicative of TMJ disc dislocation. Usually, a tender jaw is uncommon in teeth problems.
Pain Surrounding Ears
The postauricular pain is a classical differentiating sign between TMJ pain and tooth pain. This pain is mostly TMJ in origin because of the joint fusion.
Difficulty In Chewing
When you have injured your TMJ, difficulty while chewing is very obvious. You feel an inability to move your jaw for mastication.
Sounds From The Jaw
Clicking sounds and crepitus are striking features that distinguish TMJ disorder from tooth problems. TMJ pain is mostly associated with sounds, unlike tooth pain.
Pain In The Head And Neck
The muscles covering the TMJ are connected to the head and neck. As a result, it can alarm a faulty TMJ.
Tooth Pain
Patients with tooth pain experience the following symptoms:
Pain In A Particular Tooth
A tooth pain is not generalized like TMJ pain. You can locate it. Although you may find it difficult to locate the exact tooth, your dentist can perform a test to identify the culprit tooth.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity to hot and cold food and beverages is a common feature of an affected tooth. Sensitivity is uncommon in TMJ problems.
Swollen And Inflamed Gum
Your gums can clearly distinguish between tooth pain and TMJ pain. TMJ problems do not affect the appearance of the gums.
Unpleasant Taste In The Mouth
An oral infection arising from the teeth can cause a very bad taste in your mouth. This is mainly due to the pus discharge.
Discomfort Upon Chewing
While a TMJ disorder can cause pain while eating and restrict movements, teeth problems can make chewing discomforting. However, it may not always alter your mouth movements.
Nocturnal Pain
An irreversible pulpitis (infection in the tooth) is very painful and often initiates in the middle of the night while the patient is asleep.
What Must You Do Next?
Your next move after experiencing the signs and symptoms should be to visit your dentist. At the same time, the pain perception and location can help in differentiating the source, whether TMJ or tooth. A clinical examination and investigation through X-rays is important. This will help the dentist offer you immediate treatment and provide pain relief.
Final Message
Dental pains can make you very miserable and sleepless. They spread very badly, and you should know their source of origin, so that you can act upon it accordingly. Teeth pain is more localized, while TMJ pain is mostly around the ear. If you want instant treatments for both, then visit Village Park Family Dentist of Cypress. We specialize in all kinds of dental treatments and aim to make our patients pain-free. Call us at (281) 376-4444 to book your appointment today.