Tower House, 11 Courtenay Park, Newton Abbot, TQ12 2HD
Award Winning Dental Practice
Menu
Award Winning Dental Practice
4.9 130+ Google Reviews 5 1000+ In-practice Reviews
140+ Google Reviews
5.0
1000+ Reviews in practice
Request an appointment
Or call us on

01626 21 21 21


we'd love to hear from you

01626 21 21 21

Request a call back
Emergency appointments
null Google Reviews null

Jaw/ facial pain

What is Jaw pain?

Myofascial pain, also known as Temporo-Mandibular Jaw (TMJ) pain, is similar to dull toothache or wisdom tooth pain but is essentially muscular.

It is sometimes difficult to locate, and there may be pain in the jaw joint and all the surrounding structures. In acute cases, jaw opening may be limited.

How common is this type of pain?

One in four people at some time may have symptoms. Men and women are affected equally, although women tend to seek treatment more often.

What are its causes?

The most common cause is tooth clenching or grinding, often associated with stress and anxiety. Normally a person is not aware of clenching their teeth. It’s usually something they do when concentrating.

People who grind their teeth might do so during the day or at night. Night grinding while sleeping is more destructive and difficult to deal with.

What causes the pain?

Increased muscle activity in the jaw causes the muscles to get tired and go into spasm, a cramp-like condition.

Our Advice

You can tell if you’re clenching your teeth if your top and bottom teeth are touching. Teeth are normally apart, except when we’re chewing and swallowing. You can ease the pain by:

  • Eating evenly on both sides
  • Avoiding hard chewing – try soft foods in severe cases
  • Avoiding biting/chewing objects such as pens/pencils and biting your nails
  • Trying not to yawn with your mouth wide open
  • Holding a warm water bottle on the aching side

If you have lost a few back teeth, you might need them replaced to balance and support your bite properly. In severe or chronic cases your dentist can construct an appliance for you to wear on your teeth.

Now welcoming new patients

Please get in touch with our friendly team on 01626 212121

Why Choose Us?

Because we are a family run practice with patient care at the heart of everything we do.

See what our patients say

Please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you

Please fill out our contact form and a member of our friendly team will be in touch as soon as possible.

Get in touch

Opening Hours

We are currently closed. However, we reopen Thursday at 09:00.

All Opening Hours

What Our Patients Say About Us

  • A huge thank you to Jo for giving me my smile and confidence back! From the initial consultation through to having my implant I have been amazed at the high level of treatment and care I have received. Jo found solutions to every obstacle I faced and the outcome is better than I could of imagined. My many questions and worries were answered with empathy and understanding by both Katherine and Tiffany. Thank you all for being outstanding!

    kayleigh vowles - See Google Reviews

  • Having recently had serious tooth ache I managed to get booked into El Nashar, and I can honestly say from start to finish I was well looked after. I was seen by Victoria and Mary and they both made me feel calm and relaxed even though I was in tremendous pain. And a special thanks to Tiffany who helped me with booking more appointments and also gave me the relevant information I needed for my health insurance. All round fantastic service. What a team!!

    Matthew King - See Google Reviews

  • After feeling let down by my NHS dentist my husband managed to get me an emergency appointment at El Nashar. I have been in absolute agony for a few weeks and feeling totally drained. From the minute I walked in I felt welcome, the reception team were lovely and very informative. I was seen by Jo and Mary and all I can say is I’ve never felt so relaxed at a dentist appointment. Jo went above and beyond to help me and the customer service all round was exceptional :)

    Alexis Prescott - See Google Reviews

Leave A Review

Book An Appointment

Company Information

Policies

Useful Links

BACK TO TOP

Last Updated: 05/2024

Optimising the digital experience by Pop Creative