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Face pain
A guide for patients and carers
Temporo mandibular joint dysfunction
This condition is sometimes called facial arthromyalgia but many other names are used. In some cases the joint itself is causing problems, in others, it is the muscles.
The pain is in the form of a dull ache that affects the jaw and muscles in the side of the face near the ear. It may also cause clicking of the jaw and difficulty in opening the mouth because of spasm in the jaw muscles. The pain may extend over the side of the head and down into the neck. Often pain may be felt in the ear, where there may also be a sense of fullness or buzzing. It may sometimes be accompanied by dizziness.
The cause of this pain is unknown, although for some the problem is a product of disease in the jaw joint. It can also occur when the teeth do not align properly. This can happen when teeth have been lost or if dentures do not fit well. Treatment will therefore begin with a careful assessment by a dental specialist. It is important not to have any treatment that is irreversible as the condition clears up in most cases within two to three years.
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Contents
- Introduction
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
- Post-herpetic neuralgia
- Other causes of chronic facial pain
- Temporo mandibular joint dysfunction
- Atypical face pain / chronic facial pain
- Atypical odontalgia
- Burning mouth syndrome - Oral dysaesthesia
- Summary
- Other organisations that may be able to help
