Jaw Hurts After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Find Causes & Solutions
You may experience pain in your jaw following wisdom teeth removal surgery.
The reason why is because your wisdom teeth are attached to your jawbone. With complex dental surgeries, afterward, you could experience pain for a few days.
People will often ask why their jaw hurts after wisdom teeth removal and how they can reduce the pain.
Fortunately, there are multiple relief methods available that can help ease the pain.
Here they are!
Jaw hurts after wisdom teeth removal: find causes and solutions
Extraction of lower wisdom teeth can lead to a condition where the muscles of the jaw contract or tighten. This condition is known as Trismus, where a person faces problems in mouth opening. Trismus is usually common when the third molar is impacted.
Trismus is usually painful and can affect speech and the ability to eat. i.e., you won’t be able to open your mouth and chew the food quickly. The condition often subsides when the muscles begin to repair themselves and doesn’t require treatment.
However, if your jaw pain doesn’t go away on its own, visit your dentist or oral surgeon and discuss every complaint you have after the surgery.
Note: It is not always that a person faces jaw pain after wisdom teeth removal. It could also occur in other situations apart from wisdom teeth removal. You may even experience jaw pain before the tooth removal because if the wisdom tooth is impacted, it will continue causing severe jaw pain and other related complications until the tooth is removed.
Jaw hurts after wisdom teeth removal: how to cure?
There are several natural ways to cure jaw pain; some of them includes:
Ice pack
- Take 2 – 3 ice cubes and put them in an ice pack.
- Hold the ice pack on your cheek on the area where it hurts.
- Use this remedy for 15 to 20 minutes in a session.
Note: You can reduce the time of this remedy if you are experiencing pain after applying ice over your skin.
Pain reliever
ibuprofen (Motrin) can help to relieve jaw pain.
However, it is always better to first ask your dentist before taking any medicine.
Clove oil
Clove is a legendary remedy recommended for mouth pain due to its antibacterial and pain-relieving properties.
- Take some clove oil in your finger, and apply it to the inner areas of your jaws where you feel pain.
- Ensure you don’t apply oil over the tooth extraction site as it may irritate the surgical wounds.
- Use clove oil remedy 2 – 3 times a week.
Tiger balm
Tiger balm contains camphor and menthol, which help relieve joint discomfort. It also provides a cooling sensation against severe pain.
Take a finger of tiger balm, apply it directly to the cheeks where you feel pain.
Rub the balm gently, and avoid pressing hard to the jaw.
Massage
With the help of massage, you can effectively treat your jaw pain.
Take some hair oil in your three fingers, and rub that over your cheeks in a circular motion.
Don’t rub so hard; use gentle motions to get relief from jaw pain.
Avoid solid foods
Solid foods such as burgers, pizza, biscuits can increase your jaw pain.
It is always recommended to avoid solid foods until your jaw pain is healed.
Instead, take soft foods such as mashed potatoes, oatmeal, porridge, yogurt, scrambled eggs, etc.
Limit your talk
While you are having jaw pain, you should avoid excessive talking to prevent further issues.
It is because, when you talk, your jaws make continuous movements which can increase the pain.
Thus, try to speak slowly and only when you are needed until the pain is relieved.
Sleep on the other side
One should protect their jaw while sleeping until the pain is relieved.
Improper sleeping position can put pressure over your jaw and increase the pain so try to sleep straight or on the side where you don’t have any pain.
Stop grinding
Some people have a habit of grinding their teeth on different occasions.
Although it is pretty challenging to stop teeth grinding, you have to avoid that because it puts pressure over your jaws and ends up causing severe issues.
Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth as it can also lead to challenging complications such as lockjaw and tinnitus.
Visit your doctor
Jaw pain usually subsides after 2 – 3 days of wisdom teeth extraction.
If the pain still lasts more than a week, visit your doctor and share all of the complaints you are experiencing after surgery.
Can my face bruise due to jaw pain?
Facial bruising is normal if your jaw is fractured or broken.
However, a standard jaw pain usually does not cause bruising over your face.
Can prolonged jaw pain cause jaw fracture?
First of all, jaw pain can be caused by several reasons, such as after wisdom teeth removal, injury, or any particular incident.
Jaw pain that occurs after an accident can lead to fracture.
And in that condition, never get late to consult with a professional oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
What to do about ear and jaw pain after wisdom teeth removal?
Some people experience either jaw pain or ear pain after wisdom teeth removal.
But for some people, both complications can occur together.
Such a condition can be difficult to bear, and you should discuss this issue with your dentist before that problem worsens.
How long does jaw stiffness last after wisdom teeth removal?
Jaw stiffness can be caused before or after wisdom teeth removal.
It will usually take around a week to get rid of jaw stiffness after extraction.
The Bottom Line
The jaw is one of the most sensitive parts of the human body, and you should protect it from any injury.
Further, if your jaw hurts after wisdom teeth removal, you should stop every activity that can worsen the pain and lead to other complications.
All in all, don’t worry if you are experiencing jaw pain in starting days of extraction, take proper care of yourself, and everything will get under your control quickly
