Jaw Pain Treatment in Singapore

You can see a doctor or jaw pain dentist for an initial assessment should you have jaw pain, and are in need of pain relief. These healthcare practitioners can conduct physical examinations, and help to narrow down the causes, such as if it’s from a tooth infection, inflammation or something more generic.

They should refer you to an Orofacial Pain Specialist thereafter for further assessment and follow-up care, especially if no dental pathologies or immediate abnormalities can be found. Irreversible procedures should be held off until a proper diagnosis can be made, as doing so can lead to further problems down the road.

One cause of jaw pain that can feel like electric shocks is Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), of which there are three different types – Type 1 (Classical) and Type 2 (Secondary), and Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia. We have seen and diagnosed all three types at our clinic. Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia can be trickier to diagnose, as no abnormalities can be seen on MRI or electrophysiological tests. We have also observed a rise in cases of Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia after dental work at our clinic.

Apart from Trigeminal Neuralgia, there are also other health conditions that can cause electric shock-like pain in the jaws or orofacial region, such as: tumours, aneurysms, vascular malformations, Multiple Sclerosis, Connective Vascular Diseases and other types of orofacial neuropathic pain.

Visit our Orofacial Pain Treatment page for more information.

It can be tricky to pinpoint the cause of the jaw pain with autoimmune conditions, as they often come with comorbidities, and can affect several body parts simultaneously. It is, however, not uncommon to experience jaw pain with chronic conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), due to inflammation or joint aches.

As mentioned above, health and dental practitioners who are accredited in Oral Medicine are trained to diagnose and manage medically complex patients in relation to the oral and maxillofacial region. An Oral Medicine / Orofacial Pain Specialist should be included on your healthcare team in order to manage and treat jaw pain that stems from such medical conditions.

You may sometimes hear crunching or clicking sounds on either side of your jaws if you have a TMJ Disorder. This can also be accompanied by ‘weird’ sensations that may manifest as ‘electric shocks’, general soreness, muscle spasms or some other form of pain.

Even if your jaws are not in pain, it is best to visit a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist to get it checked, as it may be a chronic condition that can deteriorate over time if not treated and managed properly.

For more information, visit our TMJ Disorder Treatment and Orofacial Pain Treatment pages.

It is best to seek help from a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist should you have a locked jaw, or any other problems with opening or closing your mouth. There are certain jaw-unlocking procedures they can do to help free the joint. Do not attempt to manipulate your jaw back into position on your own, as this can lead to further damage of the jaw joints.

It is best to first visit a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist to assess your condition and get a proper diagnosis, to see if a mouthguard is suitable for managing your jaw pain. There are also different kinds of oral appliances which are used for different purposes.

If deemed suitable, they will make models of your teeth, which are then used to craft your oral appliance. This is custom-made to fit your mouth specifically, in order to prevent jaw damage and to manage your pain.

Visit our TMJ Disorder Treatment page for more information.

In short – you don’t. Jaw pain can manifest in a myriad of ways with symptoms that overlap with many other pain disorders. This is why many patients are often misdiagnosed and undergo unnecessary procedures which can cause irreversible damage at worst. In addition, many jaw pain cases are from referred pain, meaning that the site of the actual problem is a distance away from where the pain is felt.

If you are experiencing jaw pain of any kind, do visit a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist for examination. This is especially true if the pain is prolonged or combined with other symptoms, such as cold sweats, dizziness or difficulty breathing. This could be a sign of something more sinister, such as a cardiac event. Contact us for help here.

There is no fixed duration for how long jaw pain can last, as it is highly dependent on the root cause. If it is from a case of minor trauma or acute illness such as an infection, the pain should dissipate in a few days with the right treatments. If the cause is chronic in nature, such as from a TMJ disorder or neuropathic pain, then the jaw pain may last for a longer period of time. It may also be of a sporadic nature, where episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks.

It is important to get a proper diagnosis from a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist, so that they can come up with a pain management plan that is suitable for you. Contact us for help here.

There is no ‘best’ treatment for jaw pain, as this is dependent on many factors, including but not limited to: root cause of the jaw pain, comorbidities and allergies (if any), individual anatomical features and lifestyle, and more.

It is essential to obtain a proper diagnosis as the ‘best’ treatment for jaw pain is heavily dependent on this. Subsequent pain management and treatment for jaw pain should also be adapted to suit your individual needs. Sometimes, there are a few different options for jaw pain treatment available as well, and your preference may differ from that of another patient’s.

Contact us for a proper diagnosis for your jaw pain today, and learn what your potential treatment options are.

Yes, a locked jaw can be fixed without surgery in general, provided it is treated by a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist. Do not attempt to manipulate your jaw on your own, as this can cause further damage.

It is also important to note that TMJ locked jaw can happen for a number of reasons. It may be acute or chronic in nature, and occur in varying stages of progression. This further emphasises the need to consult a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist, as they can determine where, why and how your jaw is locked. They can then safely manoeuvre it back into position, and/or recommend other treatment plans if deemed necessary.

Contact us here for help with your locked jaw.

Once again, treatment for jaw pain of any kind, including locked jaw, is highly dependent on the root cause of the problem. For more straightforward cases, a trained Orofacial Pain Specialist may be able to perform certain techniques to unlock your jaw on the spot. For more complex or chronic cases, such as bruxism or autoimmune diseases, a more comprehensive pain management and treatment plan will be needed based on individual needs.

Contact us for help with your locked jaw here.

Some of the signs and symptoms of an infection within the oral cavity that can give rise to jaw pain include but are not limited to: inflammation, swelling, formation of pus, ear pain, fever, temperature sensitivity, and more.

It is important to seek treatment if there are any abnormalities within your mouth – whether the symptoms are painful or otherwise, as this may be an indicator of an oral infection or something else. In fact, many systemic disorders and autoimmune diseases often manifest as symptoms in the oral cavity first (Saccucci et al., 2018).

For instance, there was a patient who had blistering pain in his mouth that affected his ability to chew and swallow. He was found to be suffering from Pemphigus, a rare autoimmune condition, at our clinic. Diagnosis is important, because such wounds can develop infections that spread to other parts of the body.

Another patient who experienced “burning, scalding pain” in her mouth was found to be suffering from Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) at our clinic, which is a form of neuropathic pain. For BMS, oral infections can also be the root cause of pain.

Apart from the standard clinical and physical examinations, an oral biopsy may be needed in such cases, both to diagnose and/or rule out other disorders. At Nourish Dental Sleep & TMJ Care, we are able to perform oral biopsies if deemed necessary, and to follow up based on the results.

Dr. Eric Chionh Chye Kiat helms Nourish Dental Sleep & TMJ Care in Singapore. He has a special interest in jaw pain, and how it can overlap with other areas of oral and dental medicine. He is formally trained in Orofacial Pain, Oral Medicine and Dental Sleep Medicine, which are distinct but related fields in dentistry. This grants him additional knowledge and insights into symptoms you may be experiencing. He is also able to order additional tests that a regular dentist cannot.

He also believes that each patient is unique, and that jaw pain treatments should be adapted based on your individual needs and preferences, without compromise to evidence-based treatment options. He takes the time to listen and answer any questions you may have, as he believes it is important part of the evaluation and diagnosis process.

You can find Dr. Chionh’s full list of credentials on our About page, and read more about Nourish Dental Sleep & TMJ Care on our blog.