What is a Jaw Infection and What Does it Feel Like?
Jaw pain can arise because of a number of different conditions or behaviors, and the pain can be debilitating, affecting a person’s ability to bite and chew and also potentially affecting their ability to turn their head or even open their mouth at all. You and your dentist can examine the possible causes of your jaw pain, and treatment for the pain will depend on its cause. Some of the things that cause jaw pain are more serious than others, and some circumstances can lead to other symptoms as well. An infection in the jaw is one of the more serious issues that could cause symptoms, including pain, and, when a jaw infection remains untreated, it can cause more serious symptoms, including the spread of infection into other parts of the body. If you experience pain in your jaw for more than a couple of days, see your dentist. If you have an infection in your jaw, prompt treatment could make a world of difference. Your dentist can pinpoint the cause of your jaw pain, but understanding the different causes for jaw pain and the risks that can arise is helpful as you plan to seek treatment. For example, understanding what a dental abscess and jaw infection feel like can help you determine the urgency of treatment and plan accordingly.
Infections in the teeth are called dental abscesses, and these dental abscesses can spread, leading to infection in the jawbone. The teeth can become infected and abscess can develop when bacteria invades the oral tissues, through cracks in damaged teeth or because of dental cavities, and, when this infection isn’t treated right away, it can spread into the jawbone and cause significant health issues. Usually, the first indication of a dental abscess is a toothache. When a toothache is caused by infection and isn’t treated, the infection can spread to other places in the body. Symptoms of a dental abscess could include throbbing pain in the tooth and in the jawbone near the tooth, and this pain could even radiate out from the tooth and into the ear or neck adjacent to the infection. In many cases, this pain becomes worse when a person lies down. Dental abscess could also cause sensitivity to pressure in the oral cavity or sensitivity to extreme temperatures or sweet foods. When infection is present, the cheek near the infection may appear swollen, and the lymph nodes in the neck could also be swollen or feel tender. Infection can also cause fevers, bad breath, or a foul taste in the mouth.
When infection spreads from a dental abscess into the bone, this systemic infection could become life-threatening. Signs that a tooth infection has spread might include a general feeling of illness that could include headaches, unusual fatigue, or dizziness, and patients may run a fever and experience the sweating and chills that can accompany fever. The face may become swollen to an extent that makes it difficult to open the mouth, and swelling may also interfere with swallowing or even with breathing. Systemic infection can also be characterized by dehydration, increased heart rate and lightheadedness, stomach pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. Call your doctor immediately if you have a fever above 102 degrees, and seek emergency medical attention if you experience a fever accompanied by chest pain, confusion, shortness of breath, seizures or convulsions, extreme sensitivity to light, unexplained rashes, uncontrollable vomiting, or painful urination.
Symptoms of a dental abscess include pain in the oral cavity and in the jaw, redness or swelling in the affected area, and noticeable pus draining or leaking from the area into the mouth. A dentist’s first step toward treating a dental abscess and stopping its spread is to drain the infection and prevent further infection from developing; this is usually done with a prescription for a course of antibiotics. When the infection is severe, the tooth may need to be extracted, and, in some cases, surgery may be necessary to stop the infection from spreading even further into the bones. In any case, prompt medical attention is an integral part of preventing infection from spreading into the jaw and elsewhere in the body, so make sure to call your dentist if any signs of infection appear in a tooth or anywhere else in the oral cavity.