Do you habitually grind your teeth, or not even aware if you grind your teeth?
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these, you probably already know that you could be at risk for facial pain.
Rider and her staff are experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating oral and facial pain conditions.
When necessary, we work closely with primary physicians, your other care providers, and dentist to develop the most effective course of treatment for you.
In this section we’ll look at common causes of facial pain and their treatments.
If you experience any of these symptoms for more than 2 weeks, you need a thorough oral surgical examination to determine what is causing the symptom(s). Contact Rider Oral Surgery, explain what you’re observing, and book an appointment. Dr Rider and her staff will evaluate the condition and determine if a biopsy and/or other laboratory test is needed to diagnose it. During your consultation you will have a 3D image to check the bone structure.
Here we’ll look at these common causes.
Many common tooth problems can result in facial pain.
Pain from these common problems can be referred to other parts of the head and face causing pain in the jaw muscles, headaches and more.
If you are experiencing facial pain, pain caused by tooth problems should be ruled out first. Dr Rider and her staff at Rider Oral Surgery will examine your mouth, face, head, and neck to determine if a problem with a tooth is causing your pain and will develop a treatment plan based on their findings.
The most common and well-known cause of facial pain is a group of conditions called temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJDs).
The temporomandibular joint is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. When this joint is injured, damaged, or has arthritis, it can result in misalignment of the jaw. This misalignment can strain the jaw’s muscles and supporting tissues, resulting in recurrent or chronic pain.
This dysfunction is called temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome.
TMJDs are so common that they are second only to chronic lower back pain as the most commonly occurring musculoskeletal conditions that result in pain and disability.
Unlike most types of chronic pain, younger people suffer from TMJ at a higher rate than older people. Women suffer from TMJ twice as often as men.
If you continue to suffer from jaw pain, we can help you.
Dr Rider and her staff will conduct an examination to determine if your pain may be caused by one of several types of TMJ.
They will develop a treatment plan to address the cause and alleviate the pain.
Treatment plans may range from simple relaxation techniques and ice packs (just like the treatments for a muscle injury) to the use of steroids to reduce inflammation and pain, to surgery in extreme cases.
There are many possible causes of TMJ syndrome.
These include:
Neuropathic pain disorders are a set of pain conditions resulting from disorder or injury to the nervous system. The trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve with three branches reaching throughout the face and mouth.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve that causes sudden, shock-like pain in or around the face. Episodes typically last several seconds but can last up to two minutes. They may repeat throughout the day.
Treatment of nerve pain disorders varies with the cause of the pain and may include non-intrusive methods such as prescribing anti-inflammatory medications to surgical options involving repair to the damaged nerve. Many facial pains can be treated with meds, therapy, oral devices, and Botox.
Facial nerve pain disorders are often related to damage to the trigeminal nerve, including:
