Between 5% and 12% of people are living with a jaw disorder and/or jaw pain. This area of chiropractic care is less well known than the treatment of spinal injuries, but caring for the jaw, teeth and gums is an essential part of physical health. One of the most effective ways to prevent a jaw condition from arising is by regularly visiting your dentist and Chiropractor. They will be able to spot a problem and deal with it before it gets any worse. If the dentist can’t fix your chronic pain, then consider following a dental checkup with a trip to the chiropractor. They may be able to ease the pain that comes with an injured jaw, alternatively jaw pain could be related to a blockage at a different point in the spine and a full spinal adjustment may resolve the jaw issue.

Often people avoid going to the dentist and/or chiropractor because they don’t have any obvious problems with their teeth or spine. It makes sense; you wouldn’t go to the emergency room if there isn’t an emergency. However, Dentistry and Chiropractic care are highly effectively as a preventative or maintenance care regime, not just crisis care. Up to one in five Americans will only go the dentist if they absolutely have to and only 6-10 percent will see a chiropractor, preferring to take medications or undergo invasive procedure. This is often due to anxiety. Fear of the dentist and chiropractor is common but you’ll want to overcome this and make regular visits, even if it seems that nothing is wrong.

The dentist will be able to spot tooth decay, cavities, gum disease or oral cancer when they are in their earliest stages. This means that they can address the problem before it causes any pain or costs a lot of money to fix. They’ll also be able to offer advice about caring for your teeth, including avoiding the causes of jaw pain. The chiropractor will be able to identify musculosketetal and central nervous system blockages called subluxation. This interference blocks effective communication from the brain to the body which can lead to discomfort and disease.

The jawbone is connected to the skull via the temporomandibular joints, which are located in front of your ears. Along with the gums and teeth which are held in your jaw, the temporomandibular joints are the most common source of jaw pain. Arthritis or injury are often behind jaw problems, but pain can worsen if you are stressed or grinding your teeth.

If your jaw makes a clicking noise, your face aches or you are experiencing frequent headaches or dizziness, then it may be due to a jaw problem. Finding the cause of the pain is the first step to removing it.

Regular dental checkups are key to preventing jaw pain, but you may find that an ache arises, and the dentist is unable to help. In this case, it may not be the teeth or gums that are causing the problems but could be the joints between your jaw and skull. In this case, a chiropractor may be able to ease the pain and suggest exercises to strengthen the jaw to prevent the pain from returning.

Looking after your jaw health is incredibly important. Letting problems get worse can lead to chronic pain, including headaches and dizziness. Get regular dental checkups to ensure the teeth aren’t causing problems, visit the chiropractor to address joint dysfunction, for extra pain relief and jaw strengthening procedures.