What To Know and Do About Jaw Pain on One Side

Medically reviewed by Brian T. Luong, DMDMedically reviewed by Brian T. Luong, DMD

Jaw pain on one side of your face can feel like dull achiness, stiffness, or a sharp, radiating pain. The pain can range in severity from occasional to intense pain in your joints. Sometimes, intense one-sided jaw pain is a sign of something more serious, such as a heart attack when it is co-occurring with other symptoms.

Your two temporomandibular joints (TMJ)—or jaw joints—are on both sides of your face in front of each ear. They connect your lower jaw bone (mandible) to the skull. These are the muscles attached to the joints that support jaw movements for talking, chewing, and swallowing. Experiencing any pain in that area can be frustrating because of how much you use them daily.

While occasional jaw discomfort is not uncommon and often resolves on its own, experiencing persistent or severe jaw pain may require medical attention. TMJ disorders, dental concerns, and infections are common causes of jaw pain on one side.

Understanding the possible causes of jaw pain can help you prevent complications and get the right treatment for much-needed pain relief. Several treatment options exist for jaw pain including prescription medication, cold therapy, and over-the-counter pain relievers.

Potential Causes of Jaw Pain on One Side

There are many reasons why your jaw may hurt on one side, including inflammation, autoimmune conditions, and oral health conditions. Occasional jaw discomfort is often mild and usually goes away without treatment. More severe causes, like arthritis, may require medical attention.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMDs)

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) affect your temporomandibular joint (the joints connecting your lower jaw to your skull) and surrounding tissues—including your muscles, ligaments, and nerves. An estimated 31% of adults and 11% of children have TMD, making this group of conditions among the most common causes of one-sided jaw pain.

TMD pain can also affect both sides of your jaw. Whether it affects one or both sides, TMD pain can range widely in severity. In mild cases, TMDs can cause a dull ache or tenderness in the area. In severe cases, the pain can be debilitating.

You may also notice other symptoms accompanying your jaw pain, including:

• Limited jaw movements

• Stiffness in the jaw muscles

• Pain in your shoulders and neck

• Chronic headaches

• Jaw locking (when your jaw is stuck in one place)

• Difficulty opening or closing your mouth

• Earache

• Sounds resembling clicking and popping when opening and closing your mouth

In many cases, the cause of TMD is unknown. However, researchers have found certain factors may increase your risk of a TMD disorder, including a jaw injury, an overbite or underbite (also known as a misaligned jaw), or certain autoimmune conditions like arthritis.

Dental Conditions

If you have had dental procedures like braces or oral health concerns like gum disease, they can contribute to one-sided jaw pain. Experiencing jaw pain from dental concerns may feel like a throbbing, sharp, or radiating pain.

Dental conditions associated with jaw pain on one side include:

• Toothache: A cavity, abscess (a bacterial infection in your tooth), oral infection, or cracked tooth can cause mouth pain that is felt in your jaw.

• Wisdom teeth impaction: Wisdom teeth that become impacted—meaning they partially or entirely get stuck in your gums—can cause jaw pain, stiffness, and swelling.

• Gum disease: In advanced stages, gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) can affect your jawbone and surrounding tissues, causing pain and swelling.

• Misaligned jaw or teeth: Overbites, underbites, and other misalignments can strain jaw joints and surrounding tissues, leading to pain.
  

When dental conditions are causing one-sided jaw pain, you may have additional symptoms, such as:

• Tooth pain

• Mouth sores

• Bleeding gums

• Sensitive teeth

• Bad breath 
  

Sinusitis

Sinusitis (a sinus infection) is inflammation of your sinuses, which are air-filled spaces in your skull. When your sinuses are inflamed, the surrounding tissues can swell and sometimes cause pain that radiates to your jaw. Pain from sinusitis typically feels like aching or pressure around the cheeks and forehead. Sinus pressure can sometimes extend to one or both sides of the jaw.

Other symptoms of sinusitis include:

• Nasal congestion

• Headache

• Facial tenderness

• Fever

• Cough

• Fatigue

• Loss of smell

• Sore throat
  

Getting upper respiratory infections, experiencing altitude changes, and having a weakened immune system can contribute to sinusitis.

Injury

Falls, car accidents, and dental procedures can damage your jawbone or surrounding tissues and cause you to feel pain on one side of your jaw. Jaw fractures and jaw dislocation are two of the most common jaw injuries, especially for people who play sports.

A jaw fracture is a broken upper or lower jaw bone. Symptoms of a broken jaw include:

• Pain in the jaw that worsens with movement

• Facial bruising and swelling

• Discomfort when chewing

• Misaligned jaw or teeth

• Stiffness

• Difficulty opening or closing your mouth

• Facial numbness

• Ear pain 
  

Jaw dislocation occurs when one or both jaw joints move out of place, causing the lower jaw to jut forward. Jaw dislocation symptoms include:

• Jaw pain that worsens with movement

• Difficulty talking

• Drooling

• Misaligned teeth or a bite that feels crooked

• Inability to close your mouth

• Locked jaw (immobility in your jaw)
  

Infection

Infections in or around the jaw area may also cause throbbing or pulsating pain in your jaw. Your discomfort may worsen while you are chewing or biting on something. Other symptoms of an infection include swelling, redness, and fever.

Infections that can cause jaw pain on one side include:

• Periodontal (gum) infection

• Tooth abscess (an infection in the root of the tooth)

• Ear infection

• Osteomyelitis (an infection of the jawbone)

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Believed to be one of the most excruciatingly painful health conditions, trigeminal neuralgia is the compression or irritation of the trigeminal nerve, which extends into your cheeks, forehead, and lower jaw. Trigeminal neuralgia causes electrical shocks and stabbing pains on one side of the face, including the jaw.

Many people with trigeminal neuralgia develop symptoms spontaneously with no apparent cause. For others, accidents or dental work can trigger its development. Some people experience bouts of pain once a day, while others may have up to a dozen every hour.

Triggers for pain when you have trigeminal neuralgia can include:

• Talking

• Smiling 
  

• Brushing teeth

• Blowing your nose

• Shaving your face

• Having wind blow on you

• Applying makeup

• Washing your face
  

Other Causes

There are several other conditions that can cause one-sided jaw pain. Some are more rare or may only sometimes cause one-sided jaw pain. These conditions include: 

• Heart attack:  Pain on one or both sides of your jaw can be a sign of a heart attack. You may also have discomfort in the neck, back, and stomach.

• Cancer: Oral cancer can cause one-sided jaw pain, difficulty moving your mouth, and swelling in your jaw.

• Arthritis: Some forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis, can wear down the soft tissue in your jaw bone and cause one-sided jaw pain.

• Giant cell arteritis (GCA): This is an inflammatory disease that causes inflammation of the large blood vessels in your scalp, neck, and arms. Jaw pain and stiffness are common symptoms of GCA that can make eating and talking uncomfortable.

• Osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis): In this condition, jaw bone cells die because there is a loss of blood supply to the jaw bone. It can lead to jaw pain and swelling.

• Myofascial pain: A chronic condition where pain is triggered in sensitive muscle points along your jaw.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

It is common to experience jaw pain that goes away on its own. However, it is important to see a healthcare provider if your pain lasts for weeks or longer and you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty opening or closing your mouth

• Facial swelling

• Fever

• Earache

• Sore throat

• Tooth pain

• Bleeding gums

• Pain when eating, talking, or swallowing

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice chest pain, shortness of breath, or nausea alongside your jaw pain—these symptoms may be signs of a heart attack.

How Is Jaw Pain Diagnosed?

To get a diagnosis, consider first visiting a primary care provider or dentist. The provider will likely start the diagnostic process by asking about your symptoms and reviewing your medical history.

During your appointment, they may gently feel around your jaw to rule out other tooth concerns. While they examine you, they may ask you to open and close your jaw and describe how it feels. They may also watch your jaw move and listen for clicking or popping sounds.

Based on your answers and physical evaluation, they may decide to do further testing. This may include imaging and blood tests.

• Imaging tests:  X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can provide detailed pictures of your temporomandibular joint and surrounding structures (such as muscles, nerves, and tissue) to identify any potential health concerns that may be causing your jaw pain. These imaging procedures are generally quick and painless.

• Blood tests: You may feel a small pinch when your healthcare provider takes a sample of your blood. Blood tests can check for certain conditions associated with one-sided jaw pain, like infections, arthritis, or autoimmune disorders.
  

Treatment

Treatment for one-sided jaw pain varies depending on what is causing your pain. For mild cases of jaw pain, you can try at-home treatments to relieve the discomfort you feel in your jaw. Some causes of jaw pain may require medical intervention.

At-Home Treatments

Self-care measures may be sufficient for relieving jaw pain on one side. At-home treatments that may offer pain relief include:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Medications like Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) can temporarily relieve pain.

• Moist heat or cold therapy: Applying a warm compress to relax your muscles or a cold compress to the painful side of your jaw may provide relief.

• Soft foods: Try opting for soft foods that require minimal chewing to reduce strain on your jaw joint and muscles.

• Jaw exercises: Gentle jaw stretches and exercises your provider recommends can improve flexibility and reduce pain.

Medical Treatments

Primary care providers and dentists often work collaboratively to treat some causes of one-sided jaw pain. Depending on what’s causing your pain, your healthcare provider may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Dental treatments: If a dental issue is causing jaw pain, treatments like fillings, root canals, or tooth extraction may be necessary.

• Prescription medications: Your provider may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, muscle relaxants, or other medications to relieve pain. Antibiotics treat tooth infections that cause jaw pain.

• Intraoral appliance: Wearing a custom-made splint or mouthguard over your teeth helps prevent teeth grinding and clenching, relieve pressure from the jaw joint and muscles, and reduce pain associated with TMD.

• Physical therapy: A physical therapist can teach specific exercises to strengthen and improve flexibility in your jaw muscles, improving the function of and relieving pain in the jaw related to TMD.

• Botox: For myofascial pain and people with a history of clenching, botox can prevent muscle spasms and reduce pain.

A Quick Review

Jaw pain on one side of your face can disrupt your daily life. Thankfully, it's often mild and can go away on its own. However, depending on the underlying cause, the pain may be more severe or you may need treatment. One-sided jaw pain may stem from several conditions, including temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), dental conditions, sinus infections, and injuries. See a healthcare provider for a diagnosis and treatment if the pain worsens or occurs with other symptoms that cause you discomfort. Treatments vary depending on the reason for your one-sided jaw pain.

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