Jaw and Teeth Pain
Muscle knot in the muscles of the head, jaw, and neck can contribute to jaw and tooth pain. These same muscles contribute to head and neck pain. The muscles responsible for chewing are primary contributors, the Masseter and Temporalis, are primary contributors to pain in the jaw and teeth. Untreated muscle knots in these muscles can also mimic TMJ symptoms, as well as ear pain and discomfort.
Causes
I Feel
Tooth Pain
When the Masseter Superficial muscle, the big, powerful muscle on the side of your jaw used for chewing, is stiff, the referred pain is notoriously deceptive. You’ll typically feel a strong, deep ache in the jaw and cheek, but this discomfort frequently settles as a persistent, dull tooth pain—usually involving the molar or pre-molar teeth in both the upper and lower jaw. This muscle’s primary job is to powerfully close your jaw, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, aggressively chewing tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press on the muscle near the corner of your jawbone. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making jaw movement painful and leading to that confusing ache felt in the teeth.
Jaw Pain
When the Masseter Superficial muscle, the large, powerful muscle on the side of your jaw used for chewing, is stiff, the pain is intensely localized in the jaw area. You’ll typically feel a strong, deep ache in the lower jaw and cheekbone, and this discomfort frequently settles as a dull earache or pressure right in front of your ear. This muscle’s primary job is to powerfully close your jaw, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, aggressively chewing tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press on the muscle near the corner of your jawbone. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making jaw movement painful and causing that tight, aching sensation throughout the lower half of your face.
I Feel
Jaw Pain
When the Masseter Deep muscle, which is the inner layer of the chewing muscle on the side of your jaw, is stiff, the pain is often felt surprisingly high up. You’ll typically feel a strong, deep ache concentrated right in your temple, sometimes running to the ear and the joint itself. This muscle’s job is to retract (pull back) and powerfully stabilize your jaw when chewing, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, aggressively chewing tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press firmly on the muscle right in front of your ear. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making jaw opening difficult and causing that tight, aching pressure in the side of your face and head.
Ear Pain
When the Masseter Deep muscle, which is the inner, stabilizing layer of the chewing muscle on the side of your jaw, is stiff, the pain it refers can be surprisingly felt in your ear. You’ll typically feel a strong, deep ache concentrated right around the jaw joint and often radiating as a persistent, dull ear pain or pressure right in front of the ear canal. This muscle’s job is to pull back and powerfully stabilize your jaw when chewing, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, chewing hard or tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press firmly on the muscle just in front of your ear. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making it difficult to fully open your mouth and causing that tight, aching pressure that feels just like an ear infection.
I Feel
Tooth Pain
When the Temporalis muscle, the large, fan-shaped muscle covering the side of your head above your ear, is stiff, the pain it refers can feel exactly like a tooth problem. You’ll typically feel a strong, aching discomfort right in your temple, but this pain frequently travels down and settles as a persistent, dull toothache, often involving the upper back teeth. This muscle’s job is to elevate and retract your jaw (closing the mouth), so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, aggressively chewing tough foods, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press on the side of your head while clenching your jaw. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making chewing difficult and leading to that confusing ache felt directly in your teeth.
Jaw Pain
When the Temporalis muscle, the large, fan-shaped muscle on the side of your head above your ear, is stiff, the pain you feel often extends right to the jaw. You’ll typically feel a strong, aching discomfort right in your temple and side of your head, but this pressure frequently travels down and settles as pain and stiffness in the jaw joint and muscles. This muscle’s job is to elevate and retract your jaw (closing the mouth), so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during actions that involve clenching, biting down hard, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be super tender if you press on the muscle while clenching your jaw. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes heavily to TMJ discomfort, making it painful to chew, yawn, or fully open your mouth.
I Feel
Ear Pain
When the Lateral Pterygoid muscle, which is a small muscle located deep inside your cheek and skull (you can’t easily touch it), is strained, the resulting pain often feels confusingly like an ear infection. You’ll typically feel a deep, intense ache right in your ear or deep within the ear canal, and this discomfort can radiate forward to the temple and jaw joint. This muscle’s job is crucial for opening your mouth and moving your jaw forward and sideways, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse when you yawn widely, chew tough food, or open your mouth fully to bite a big apple. It can be difficult to locate, but tension here is a primary contributor to TMJ dysfunction, leaving the jaw joint feeling unstable and causing that deep, persistent ache near the ear.
I Feel
Jaw Pain
When the Medial Pterygoid muscle, a powerful chewing muscle located deep inside your cheek on the inner side of your jaw, is strained, the pain is often felt internally. You’ll typically feel a deep, intense ache in the back of your jaw, sometimes radiating to the throat and tonsil area, making swallowing feel uncomfortable. This muscle’s job is to close your jaw and move it sideways, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, aggressively chewing tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be difficult to access, but tension here is a major contributor to TMJ discomfort, making it hard to fully open your mouth or move your jaw from side to side. When this muscle is stiff, it causes a pervasive feeling of internal jaw and ear pressure.
Ear Pain
When the Medial Pterygoid muscle, a strong muscle located deep inside your cheek on the inner side of your jaw, is stiff, the pain it refers can be intensely felt in the ear area. You’ll typically feel a deep, internal ache or pressure that seems to originate inside the ear or near the ear canal. This discomfort can also radiate to the throat and tonsil area. This muscle’s job is to close your jaw and move it sideways, so you’ll notice the pain gets significantly worse during activities that involve clenching, forcefully chewing tough food, or grinding your teeth at night. It can be difficult to access, but tension here is a major contributor to TMJ discomfort, making it hard to fully open your mouth and causing that tight, persistent feeling of fullness or ache in the ear.
I Feel
Tooth Pain
When the Digastric Posterior muscle, which runs from the base of your skull down toward your chin, is stiff, the referred pain can be quite alarming. You’ll typically feel a strong, deep ache right under the angle of your jaw, near the upper neck, but this discomfort frequently settles as a persistent, dull tooth pain, usually involving the lower molar teeth. This muscle’s job is to help raise the hyoid bone (for swallowing) and open the jaw. It becomes stiff from activities like forceful yawning, holding your jaw open for dental work, or clenching the jaw. It can be super tender if you press on the muscle behind the jawbone. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes to TMJ discomfort, making swallowing and chewing difficult and causing that confusing ache felt directly in the lower jaw and teeth.
Jaw Pain
When the Digastric Posterior muscle, which runs from the base of your skull to your chin, is stiff, the pain is usually felt deep under the jawbone. You’ll typically feel a strong, aching discomfort right at the angle of your jaw and upper neck, but this pain frequently settles as a persistent ache throughout the lower jaw. This muscle’s job is to help open your mouth and assist with swallowing. It becomes stiff from activities like forceful yawning, holding your jaw open for long periods (like at the dentist), or chronically clenching. It can be super tender if you press on the muscle behind the jawbone. When this muscle is stiff, it contributes to TMJ discomfort, making jaw movement painful and causing that tight, persistent ache in the entire lower jaw region.