10 Causes of Jaw Pain
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #5: Bruxism
Bruxism refers to the excessive grinding and clenching of teeth that occurs while awake or during sleep. While the cause of bruxism is yet to be understood, some factors that may be involved are psychosocial factors, dopaminergic dysfunction, and central nervous system mechanisms. Pain and limited movement are most severe upon waking and slowly resolves as the day progresses.
Bruxism when one is awake tends to cause symptoms that worsen throughout the day. Parafunctional habits such as lip or cheek biting, pen chewing, and nail biting are also contributary factors to TMJD.
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