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Jaw pain
Category: Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat · All head & senses symptoms
What it can feel like
Jaw pain is pain in front of the ear, in the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) or the chewing muscles — often with clicking, stiffness, difficulty opening wide, or headaches around the temples. It commonly flares with stress and teeth clenching.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Jaw pain can be associated with jaw joint and muscle strain (temporomandibular disorder), teeth clenching or grinding (often at night), dental problems, and arthritis of the jaw joint.
Other possible causes
Jaw pain on exertion — chewing or walking — that eases with rest can occasionally be a presentation of angina, because heart pain can radiate to the jaw. New jaw pain in an older person with scalp tenderness and chewing pain can be associated with temporal arteritis.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Jaw pain that comes on with exertion and eases with rest, especially with chest tightness — urgent
- New jaw pain over 50 with scalp tenderness, headache or any visual disturbance — urgent
- A jaw that locks open or shut
- Jaw pain with a swelling, fever or after a dental infection
- Jaw pain after a blow or injury with teeth that no longer meet properly
What a clinician may do
Assessment involves the jaw joint and muscles, teeth alignment and dental health, and the pattern of pain. Most temporomandibular disorders are managed with jaw rest, soft diet, heat, stress and clenching management, and dental review; exertional or older-age patterns take the cardiac or temporal-arteritis routes.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why does stress make my jaw hurt?
Stress drives clenching and grinding, often unconsciously or during sleep, overloading the chewing muscles and joint. The resulting pain typically aches around the ear and temples, is worst on waking, and pairs with headaches — a pattern distinct from joint disease itself.
When is jaw pain your heart talking?
When it is brought on by exertion (including chewing hard food) and eases within minutes of rest, especially with breathlessness, sweating or chest discomfort. Heart pain refers along shared nerve pathways and the jaw is one of its recognised destinations.
Related symptoms — Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Browse the J section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.