Arthritis in TMJ joint

19smp59

I wonder if anyone has any experience of this. I fell asleep on the settee one day after work and woke up with awful pain in my jaw. The pain seemed to come from the top of my jaw at the back but I also had pain at the bottom of my jaw in my teeth (same side). My dentist could see no signs of an infection, although a couple of my teeth were painful when tapped, but did treat me for infection just in case. I also could feel a swelling along my jaw. It took approximately two weeks for things to settle down and the swelling to disappear. The problem is now starting again. I am sure lots of people on here have arthritis in the TMJ joint and I wonder if they could advise as to whether it ever makes their actual teeth feel painful. I am reluctant to have root canal treatment if I don't actually have an infection.

Many thanks!

LignumVitae

Hi, I've had it a couple of times in the past and I don't remember tooth pain, just jaw pain and an inability to move my mouth. Hope it sorts soon, LV

magenta

Hiya,

I have OA in both sides of my jaw and I get tooth pain. I have to use sensitive toothpaste all the time as they are very 'sensitive' all the time. At the beginning, when (and before) I was diagnosed, I always thought I had toothache but it was the arthritis causing the pain.
The only thing I would say though is that when I tap the tooth ,where the pain is, the pain isn't coming from the tooth but coming from the jaw, where the tooth is placed.
Hope this helps?

Magenta x

Compositor

About three years I went for usual dental check-up, it was found I needed a filling doing, lady dentist said, I'll do it now if you like? I said ok go on then.

It took ages, my mouth was wedged open wide and I was going through a hell of a lot of pain in my jaw, asking her to stop on several occasions.

Eventually I was sorted, but, the right side of jaw was paining something awful...I kept taking paracetamol along with normal Arthritis meds for a while and consequently went back to the dentist to complain of my painful jaw...it had only come about since her intervention.

She referred me to a Dental Consultant at the local Hospital, after xrays etc. the Consultant said that I had Arthritis in my jaw...I couldn't believe him, as I had never had any problems at all previously..all due to my lady dentist intervention. Over the last couple of years I have had injections twice to try to calm it down, it does temporary, but, my jaw can get pretty painful...tied in with the rest of OA daily pain from spinal/knees/neck/shoulders/hand...this jaw thing, I definitely didn't need.

Good Luck with your problem, I hope you get some resolve.

John xx

Bydand1980

Yep, I've experienced arthritis in the jaw (and everywhere else). On some occaisions it cracks just like fingers or the knee and can just lock up without any warning which is not only pretty painfull but a bit awkward as well, especially when eating out in a restaurant!!! Well, it is kinda funny looking back at it even if it was ever so slightly less so at the time!

toady

Just a thought, have you ruled out a blocked or inflamed parotid/salivary gland; painful, likely to affect one side, can come on fairly suddenly, causes swelling etc.

Less likely maybe, but would rather mention and be wrong than wish i had suggested it if you know what i mean.