Arthritis in jaw?!?!?

gemmarh100

Hello, I have been diagnosed with RA since April of this year and have been getting a lot of joint pain - knees, fingers, feet, shoulder....etc etc :roll:

But my question is can you get (or has anyone ever experienced) pain in your jaw from arthritis????

I woke up this morning and cannot open my mouth more than about an inch, without pain up the left hand side of my jaw. It hurts right at the top side of my jaw, by my ear....? And is sort-of clicking as I push to open my mouth wider.

Any help would be great, thanx.

Gem x

trepolpen

hi Gem , its not very nice but alot of us with RA get problems at times with our jaw , its like we get dry eyes because inflammation blocking the tear ducts

it is causing to much problems I would talk to your rheumy nurse or see your GP , you need to get your RA under control if you can

Kittkat

Hello I get it in my jaw and it flares up sometimes and my jaw kinda locks. I have to unlock it sometimes.Not too bad though x

stickywicket

Alas, yes. Just ask my dentist How she manages to fiddle around in there I've no idea. If you enter 'arthritis in jaw' into the Arthritis Care search engine quite a few former threads come up.

dibdab

Hi Gem,

I've had it in my jaw since I was 20! The doctor suggested women get it more than men because the cartlidge there is softer in women than men? My hubby suggests it's because women talk more than men and wear it out! :shock: I did bash him for that one- just a playful thump .

On a more serious note- when mine goes I eat porridge, yoghurt, rice pud and other soft stuff-and foods like toffee and crusty bread have been off limits for years as they hurt too much to eat.

Deb x

dreamdaisy

The jaw is a joint and ergo can be affected by arthritis. It is a common problem on here, quite a few are affected. Mine gets 'clunky' when my PsA flares but tends to be OK the rest of the time. DD

Starburst

Hi Gemma,

Unfortunately it's not uncommon. I had a jaw MRI unfortunately and the joint is in a terrible state. Fortunately, he assures me, jaws last much longer than other joints and don't often need replacing! My jaw doesn't open fully but like Sticky's dentist, mine is an expert at checking my teeth in a very small gap. Some foods are a no go area due to all the chewing but I otherwise, manage ok.

If it's a new symptom, it's probably worth going to your dentist to see what they think.

All the best.

Bioluminescence

The arthritis in my jaw (on the left) has been the most consistently painful joint. What is frustrating is that the consultant and GP don't seem very interested in in it. When my arthritis was first developing I went to the dentist thinking I needed a filling as the pain was so severe, I have never been so disappointment to not get a filling

Mormodook

At the start of my RA 15 years ago I used to get a sore jaw now and then . Then a couple of years later my dentist sent me to get my wisdom teeth taken out via GA in hospital as the were impacting badly( teeth weren't sore). Since they've been extracted I get less RA jaw pain . I don't know if the teeth put pressure on the jaw and caused it to flare up . Anyway it might be worth asking . It might just be a coincidence though ! Good luck :areindeer:

ouchpotato

I believe I have it in my jaw, on the left side. I have confirmed OA in various joints but the jaw wasn't checked; however I believe I have it in many other places other than the ones the rheumy listed. My jaw was broken many years ago (drunk boyfriend at the time) and it has progressively got worse. It gets embarrassing when I eat because the noise is so loud, and everyone can hear my jaw clicking. It gets really painful when it's cold, and locks sometimes, especially if I yawn widely and my God that hurts! It's not somewhere you relate to having arthritis in, but as others have said it seems to be quite common.

x

mike26

hi gemmarh100
yes it is painfull, i tend to get it when i have a neck ache and have them both together.
it seems to last for days and can be very bad to an dull ache.
it seems to come on whenever it feals like it.
arthritis is so varied in its habbits and i hate it..
of for a long walk :santa:
merry xmas all..
mike26 :xmas_evil:

frogmorton

Not very nice at all is it? I have had this several times too and my mouth has got stuck shut too in the past. For me it lasts weeks, but I really hope you feel better soon.

Pain relief and anti-inflammatories help

Love

Toni xxx

Colin1

Well it looks like its quite common I suffer with it from time to time RA can go just about anywhere

Sezeelson

I've had arthritis since a Bubba, it started effecting my jaw at about 16 which caused me to grind my teeth which of course made it all worse! I'm now 21 and I've only just managed to get it under control.

At its worse, I couldn't fit one finger between my teeth, I couldn't eat or chew. I lost quite a bit of weight because of it, eating was a real challenge! I had protein drinks etc. But I've never ever enjoyed eating.

Recently, I have been doing really well and I devoured a big burger in seconds! And it felt so good! Haha!