What is a Jaw Infection, and what does it feel like?
A jaw infection is when bacteria enters the gumline into your jaw structure or jaw bone. The bacteria grows and multiplies, occupying space within the jaw. This can lead to sharp or throbbing pain in your jaw line, which travels up to your ear.
What causes Jaw Infection?
Jaw infection can occur through trauma to your jaw, poor dental hygiene, or damage to your skin or gums which allows bacteria to enter your jawline. When bacteria enters the tissue of your jaw, typically through a cavity or tooth root into the gumline, it occupies space within the tissue. Once it has penetrated, the bacteria will multiply, infect, and occupy a space. This space is called an abscess, and once infected it can fill with pus and blood. The soft tissue itself can also become infected without and abscess, where the tissue itself is red and swollen, sensitive, and may bleed.
What are the symptoms of Jaw Infection?
A jaw infection may lead to a fever. Any sort of infection can lead to fever, sweating, and eventually respiratory problems. Infections may also lead to symptoms of a general cold; sniffling, runny nose, congestion, general aches and pains. You may need antibiotics to treat it. A jaw infection can cause discharge from your jaw. Blood or Pus may burst from the abscess, or the tissue may become so red and sensitive that it begins to bleed. If the infection is in your jaw, it may lead to temporomandibular jaw pain or compilations. TMJ pain will throb from the infection up to the ear, all along the jawline. Untreated TMJ disorders can lead to significant jaw bone pain or loss, degradation of the jaw line, and tooth loss.
Jaw Infection Treatment
This process should begin with imaging and scans. Because the infection is operating within the tissue, imaging will help the dental professional to assess the depth and development of the infection. After imaging is assessed, if there is an abscess, it may need to be dealt with or removed. This may involve a surgery into the gumline to remove the abscess or source of infection. After superficial treatment to infected areas, you may need to administer a round of antibiotics, to help your body create a defense to the infected area. For advanced TMJ complications surgery or restoration work may need to be completed. Once the treatment regimen is administered, the patient will need to practice precise dental hygiene to protect the affected areas.
In a worst-case scenario, extraction may be required.
Risk Factors
You will be at a higher risk for Jaw Infections if you have a history of Dental Infections, poor dental health, diabetes, poor diet, are immunocompromised, or smoke.
When to see your Dentist
Make an appointment with your dentist as soon as you notice jaw or tooth pain, redness or swelling, blood or pus as discharge, or when it is time for your regular checkup. Regularly seeing your dentist and dental hygienist, and regularly performing great dental hygiene will help to protect your teeth and jaw from infections.