Not all jaw pain is associated with TMD. While TMD occurs in around 10-15% of the population, other conditions have similar symptoms. These include:
Sinus infections. Sinus infections can be really mild and have practically no symptoms passed pressure in the sinuses or they can be severe. Severe sinus infections can do more than cause pressure in the face. It can cause ear pain, dizziness, and some people even experience jaw pain.
Problems with neck muscles. As you learned earlier, jaw muscles can cause ear pain. Neck muscles can cause jaw and ear pain. Our muscles in the craniofacial region are interconnected. So, you may not have TMD, but you could have a pulled or strained muscle in your neck and shoulder region that is causing you pain in your jaw and ears.
An abscess. If you have an abscessed tooth, it can eventually cause jaw and ear pain. Signs of an abscess, aside from pain, includes a swelling of the face, a buildup of pus under the gum line, a blister like sore on the gum, or even a fever. An abscess requires treatment with antibiotics or it can become life threatening.
Bruxism means that you spend a lot of time grinding or clenching your teeth. It’s likely that you don’t do it on purpose. It is something that you can do in your sleep. The result is often pain in the jaw.
Trigeminal Neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is the inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. This particular nerve gives feelings to your mouth. It can be moderate in nature and only cause minor pain when eating or it can be so severe that the face begins to ache from a soft breeze.