Why Does My Jaw Hurt When I Eat?

Jaw pain is often caused by strain on your TMJ, a joint in your face that’s responsible for opening and closing your jaw. However, there could be many other causes, like dental problems or simply the food that you’re eating.

It’s difficult to diagnose the cause of jaw pain because the culprit could be one of many interconnected parts in your orofacial area. If you want to know why you’re feeling jaw pain when you eat, then it’s helpful to understand the different causes.

What is Jaw Pain?

Jaw pain refers to any kind of pain you feel around your jawbone and ears, including:

• A stiff or aching jaw
• A toothache or sensitive gums
• Pain or dizziness originating from your temporomandibular joints (TMJs)

Symptoms can range from mild and temporary, to chronic and debilitating. In mild cases, you might feel jaw pain when you’re eating a very chewy food or after you’ve been singing or talking loudly. In severe cases, jaw pain might indicate a broken jawbone, arthritis, or a heart attack.

What Are Potential Causes of Significant Jaw Pain While Eating?

The most common causes of jaw pain when you eat are:

• Momentary sensitivity
• TMJ disorders
• Temperature sensitivity
• Trauma
• Oral health problems
• Joint problems
• Disease
• Sinusitis

TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorder (also known as TMD) is when you have chronic pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ connects your lower jaw with your skull and is responsible for opening and closing your mouth when you speak or chew. It’s one of the most common causes of jaw pain when you chew.

TMJ pain is often accompanied by headaches, dizziness, jaw clicking and popping, and pain in your shoulders and neck.

TMJ disorders are caused by:

• Grinding or clenching your teeth (often caused by stress)
• Jaw misalignment
• Inflammation of jaw muscles
• Jaw injury
• Illnesses, like arthritis

In most cases TMJ disorder is highly treatable, but if left untreated it can worsen over time or develop into a more serious chronic illness.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders cause one or more of these symptoms:

• Pain or aching near your jaw, ears, and face, especially when you move your mouth
• Clicking or popping sound when you open and close your mouth
• Jaw locks when you try to move your mouth
• Frequent headaches
• Dizziness
• Ringing in your ears
• Vision problems

What Should Be Done About TMJ Disorders?

Over-the-counter medication can alleviate some of your symptoms, but your symptoms will most likely reoccur if you don’t address the root cause of your TMJ pain. It’s best to consult a TMJ specialist, who will be able to diagnose the cause of the disorder and provide you with an effective treatment plan. Treatment may involve orthodontic work, wearing a mouthguard, changing your diet or posture, or finding healthier ways to deal with stress.

Remember that TMJ disorders can worsen over time so you should see a TMJ specialist as soon as possible once you’ve recognized the symptoms.

Temperature Sensitivity

Jaw pain can be caused by momentary sensitivity to hot or cold food that you’re eating (i.e., hot coffee or ice cream). Often, the sensitivity is felt in a single tooth.

Teeth sensitivity is usually caused by:

• Gum disease or inflamed gums
• Small cracks or cavities
• Worn enamel
• Loose filling
• Exposed tooth root (gum recession)
• Recent dental work

Treatment may involve a root canal, deep cleaning, or other type of dental work. In some cases, you may only need to improve your oral hygiene.

Trauma

Your jaw can suffer trauma from a large blow. The trauma may cause:

• Fractures
• Dislocation
• Bruises and swelling
• Loose or broken teeth
• Pain

For bruises and swelling, you may need a combination of over-the-counter pain medication and a soft-food diet to ease your discomfort while your jaw heals.

For more severe trauma that strictly limits your ability to open and close your mouth, you may need more intensive medical treatment. Consult with an orofacial specialist to determine how your jaw has been injured and which treatment options will be most effective for healing.

Oral Health Problems

Jaw pain when you eat may be caused by oral health problems, including:

• Overcrowded teeth (often caused by wisdom teeth coming in)
• Cracked teeth
• Cavities or abscessed teeth
• Gum disease
• Misaligned teeth
• Grinding or clenching your teeth (often caused by stress or eating hard foods)

These dental issues are often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Tooth pain or sensitivity (especially when chewing or swallowing)
• Sore, bleeding gums
• Mouth sores
• Bad breath
• Frequent dry mouth

In mild cases you can alleviate the pain simply by improving your oral hygiene, while more serious cases of tooth decay may require a root canal or filling a cavity.

If the pain is being caused by jaw misalignment, then you’ll likely need orthodontic work to straighten out your teeth.

Joint Problems

Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that affects your joints. Your body mistakenly attacks the healthy tissue in your joints, which causes swelling and cartilage damage. The temporomandibular joints in your jaw could be impacted in such a way, preventing your jaw from opening and closing smoothly or making it feel sore.

Disease

There are a couple of diseases that can cause jaw pain when chewing:

• Tetanus: Tetanus is a bacterial infection that you can get through a cut or scratch in your skin (infections often happen when you cut yourself on a rusty or unhygienic object). A stiff jaw is one of the earliest symptoms of tetanus and may result in spasms of stiffness called “lockjaw.” Tetanus is a serious illness and can require weeks of hospital care.
• Mumps: Mumps are caused by a virus that swells the saliva glands on the side of your mouth, making it hard for you to move your jaw.

Thankfully, both of these diseases can be easily prevented by vaccines and are becoming exceedingly rare.

Sinusitis

Inflammation of your sinus cavities is a condition called sinusitis. Sinusitis is usually caused by a cold or allergies, and the swelling may cause pain on one or both sides of your jaw.

Sinusitis symptoms include:

• Nasal congestion and difficulty breathing through your nose
• Pain or pressure in your ears or head
• Yellow or green mucus that drips into your throat
• Temporary loss of smell or taste
• Fatigue

Usually, the body heals from sinusitis after a week, but you should see a doctor if the symptoms last longer.

Rarer Causes of Jaw Pain While Eating

Here are some other causes of jaw pain that are rare, but potentially serious:

Parotid Gland Problems

The parotid gland, which is responsible for producing saliva, can cause pain and swelling at the back of your jaw when it becomes blocked, a condition known as parotitis. Parotitis is usually caused by an infection, and the pain typically begins on one side of the jaw before spreading to the other.

Symptoms of parotitis include:

• Pain when eating food
• Swelling near the front of your ears
• Difficulty opening your mouth wide
• Dry mouth
• Bad taste in your mouth
• Redness on your face and/or neck

Parotitis may require treatment with antibiotic medication.

Heart Attack

Jaw pain can sometimes be the symptom of a heart attack. The area around your ear contains a large cluster of nerves, so during a heart attack it’s possible to feel pain elsewhere in your body (a condition called “referred pain.”).

Nerve Problems

“Trigeminal neuralgia” is a painful condition that occurs when a blood vessel presses against your trigeminal nerve. This condition mostly occurs in women over the age of 50 but can also be caused by multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms may include:

• Sharp pain or shocks that are very sudden
• Pain when you touch your face or move your facial muscles
• A constant ache or burning sensation in your facial area
• Twitching in your face
• Worsening pain over time

In most cases, pain occurs in brief episodes that may last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, but the pain is often excruciating. A healthcare provider can recommend the best treatment options for you.

Infections

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the jawbone that, if left untreated, can cut off the blood supply to your jaw and permanently damage your bone tissue. This condition most often occurs when bacteria enter the bone following dental surgery or following a serious jaw injury. Symptoms include:

• Jaw pain that worsens over time
• A fever
• Difficulty opening and closing your mouth
• Numbness in your jaw and mouth
• Swelling or sensitivity in your jaw and teeth
• Fatigue
• Bad breath
• Redness or warmth in the painful area

Your healthcare provider can prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection.

Tumors & Cysts

Tumors and cysts are abnormal growths that can occur in your face and jaw. They’re not usually cancerous, but they can push your teeth out of position and destroy bone and tissue in your face.

Symptoms include:

• Jaw or facial swelling
• A lump in your facial area that you can feel
• Soreness in your throat
• Difficulty swallowing or moving your jaw
• Open sores
• Tissue growth near your teeth

In most cases, tumors and cysts may need to be removed via surgery.

What Does Pain in One Side of the Jaw Indicate

If you’re feeling pain on only one side of the jaw, then you most likely have either a tooth problem or temporomandibular joint disorder. Your dentist can diagnose and treat a problem with your tooth (like a cavity or tooth decay) but consult a TMJ specialist if you have symptoms of temporomandibular disorder.

How to Alleviate Jaw Pain

You can alleviate jaw pain at home in the following ways:

• Take over-the-counter pain relief
• Apply a hot or cold pack
• Rest your jaw as much as possible
• Eat soft foods
• Avoid grinding your teeth when you’re stressed (use a stress ball instead or exercise)
• Avoid biting your nails
• Reduce your caffeine intake (caffeine causes muscle tension that exacerbates jaw pain)
• Do gentle exercises that stretch your jaw

Exercises to Help with TMJ Jaw Pain

Here are a few exercises you can do to stretch and straighten your jaw and improve jaw mobility:

• Relaxed Jaw Exercise: Close your mouth and place your tongue at the roof of your mouth. Drop your lower jaw very slowly while holding your tongue in place.
• Side-to-Side Exercise: Hold a popsicle stick in between your teeth and slowly move your lower jaw from left to right.
• Forward Motion Exercise: Slowly move your lower teeth forward out in front of your upper teeth, and then back.
• Chin-Tuck: Hold your chin down against your chest for a short period of time, and then rest.

When to See a Doctor for Jaw Pain

Call 911 immediately if:

• You feel severe jaw pain after a blow to your jaw. This could indicate a fracture or dislocation
• You feel pain in your chest that quickly spreads to your jaw. This could indicate a heart attack.

Either of these scenarios require emergency medical treatment.

Otherwise, contact a dentist or TMJ specialist if:

• Your jaw pain doesn’t go away after a few days
• You’re having difficulty eating or breathing
• You a significant bust of pain that’s accompanied by a sour and smelly liquid
• You have swelling or a fever that won’t go away

Talk to a Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist if You Are Dealing with Jaw Pain After Eating

Visit an orofacial specialist if you experience jaw pain while you’re eating or after you’ve eaten. An orofacial specialist can treat a wide range of symptoms that originate in your jaw area, from tooth problems to TMJ disorders. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Omrani and her team at our clinic in Los Angeles. We’ll uncover the source of your jaw pain and provide you with effective treatment options that will alleviate your symptoms now and prevent them from occurring in the future.

Pain While Eating FAQs

Why does my jaw hurt when I start eating?

Jaw pain that occurs when you’re eating food is most often caused by:

• Sensitivity to a hot or cold food
• Gum disease or tooth decay
• TMJ disorder
• Unhealed trauma to the jaw
• Eating too many hard or chewy foods
• Sinusitis

When should I be worried about jaw pain?

Call emergency services if you’re experiencing jaw pain that occurs after a significant blow to your jaw (which could be a fracture or dislocation) or if the pain starts in your chest before moving to your jaw (which could be a symptom of a heart attack). Otherwise, you should see an orofacial specialist if your pain doesn’t go away in a few days, or if you’re having significant difficulty eating or breathing.