About three weeks ago I felt slight discomfort while chewing or bitting down hard, I paid it no mind. It has gotten a little more painful since then. I m a teacher so I ask the school nurse to look in my ear she said everything looked fine and that it might be tmj or tmd. I had all my wisdom teeth removed back 91 while in the USMC. I also just had my 2 upper back teeth removed in mid Nov 2013. I also grind my teeth at night. Does tmj or tmd sound like the right cause for my discomfort or should I see Gp for an ear infection?
Hi. Welcome to Chat Doctor . I have gone through your query and can understand your concerns. As per your complaint in case of you have a habit of teeth grinding or Bruise then the cause of discomfort while chewing or biting done seems to be most probably due to TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT Dysfunction and you need to consult an Oral Physician and get evaluated. He can advise you a full mouth x Ray known as ORTHOPANTOMOGRAM or OPG to evaluate your jaw joints and also all your teeth to rule out the exact cause of problem and treatment can be done accordingly. You can be advised mouth splints, mouth guards and physiotherapy to relieve the discomfort and Bruise habit. As of now you can take anti-inflammatory painkillers like Ibuprofen, muscle relaxant like Chlorzoxasone. Take soft diet and avoid excess mouth opening. Massage the muscles of sides of face in round motion gently with fingertips. Hope this information helps. Thanks and regards. Chat Doctor. 