Jaw joint pain with earache

Problems with the temporomandibular joints can also cause pain in this region due to the anatomical proximity to the inner ear. Due to a causal tension of the musculature, the muscle strands can block nerve paths and thus lead to dull pain. Furthermore, the patient may feel pressure in the ear, which is intensified by increased head movements.

The blockage can also cause a loss of sensitivity, which causes the patient to feel numbness in the areas of skin around the ear. Sensitivity can be so limited that touch is hardly noticeable. The jumping out or hitting of the temporomandibular joint, the dislocation, can also affect the ear through the application of force in such a way that a pressure pain can be felt.

Furthermore, the ear pain can be circadian or occur on special occasions. If the affected person uses the temporomandibular joint to a great extent, for example when eating, the area of the ear is always also strained when the joint is disturbed and the ear pain occurs in parallel. In addition, the symptoms can occur more frequently in the evening, when the cortisol level is at its highest, because the stimulus threshold is lowered. Cortisol is considered a stress hormone that negatively influences the sensation of pain, so that the person affected feels pain most when the level of the hormone is highest. Furthermore, there are no more distractions in the evening when the patient wants to rest, which increases the perception of pain.

Jaw joint pain after braces

Orthodontics shifts the rows of teeth so that a neutral bite position is achieved. It is not uncommon for the patient to develop temporomandibular joint problems after the treatment, as soon as all teeth are in the desired position. The new position of the teeth requires a new adjustment of the temporomandibular joints, which can result in complaints. These pains occur mainly shortly after the orthodontic treatment with braces and may decrease over time. If this is not the case, it is essential that the persistent complaints are first treated with conservative therapy methods (splint therapy, physiotherapy).