Jaw issues

[mel_reeds]

Does any one have jaw issues? At first I thought it was my teeth as the pain started at the top of my jaw near my top teeth and now seems to be at the bottom by my bottom teeth. I'm currently in between dentists and have an appointment lined up for next week but wondered if it was more of a medical issue?

[sarayar]

Yes! I have! Actually we (me, my family and my rheumy) think that’s where the illness started to flare up when i was younger, but we couldn’t know of course. Basically when i chew my food i get really tired and i didnt close my teeth properly (now i do). When i open my mouth i hear a weird noise, like a “click”... now it’s mild, a couple of years ago it was really loud. Also three years ago i couldn’t open my mouth completely, even taking a sandwich bite was really hard for me. You should see a specialized odontologist, my general dentist didn’t figure it out at the time.

[mel_reeds in reply to sarayar]

Thanks for your reply. It's quite strange. I've had trouble with a clicky jaw before but never pain. I know its not teeth as I'm not getting a sharp pain in the teeth when i eat. It's more of a dull ache which increases on movement. I'm actually doing ok with my arthritis elsewhere - my hands and feet which were the problem when I was diagnosed are doing well. Is there anything they can do for it?

[sarayar in reply to mel_reeds]

Maybe you could ask to your rheumatologist? Did you talk to them about it? I think it’s an important detail you shouldn’t fly over!

[Tinkerbell5]

Yes been to hospital 2 weeks ago got a few things wrong with my jaw and muscles x

[Patient0]

I have had issues in the past with this. I never got an answer but I am pretty sure it was the tempero-mandibular joint. It's a bit of a grey area between dentistry and doctors in the UK. I think dentists can be quite helpful with it.

[ccg123]

Hi, yes I have TMJ and experienced the pain in my jaw, skull, Eye socket, earache And sore throat. It took about a year to work out what it was, and has now calmed down with the use of a mouthguard. At the time they could see no link to this and the rest of my joint issues. However since I was told that I have sero negative arthritis, the latest dentist says it is probably connected.

[Jesnaskah]

Hi Mel. I'd definitely see a dentist, just to rule out TMJ. When I had my onset of seronegative RA, my jaw was bad.... Really bad. Just aching and aching. Sometimes felt like my teeth, especially bc it was predominantly on my left side. But I have RA all over, from my jaw to my baby toe.

I hope it's not another RA symptom and it's something easier to tend to.

[LisaJ42]

Yes I did. It was one of my first symptoms. My lower jaw was numb like I’d had an injection but my jaw was very painful. It’s only now just gone with a course of steroids. Doctor and dentist said it was just common tension pain but I knew it wasn’t. Only now I have been diagnosed with a seronegative arthritis and met someone with the same symptom do I know it’s connected to arthritis.

[Whiskers64]

Hi yes I too have jaw issues I have a clicky jaw on my left side & painfull jaw pain comes & goes on my right which I also thought was due to my teeth. I now know it's the old RA as had Dentist appointment & She has taken X-Rays of my teeth which are fine & the pain very often follows a chewy meal. I even thought it was an ear infection but that has been given the all clear. It has been so painfull at times I have difficulty eating & very pain full to yawn. If it's any help I have found that rubbing some Vic gel around the front of my ear on the jaw joint before going to bed does seem to ease the pain. Again thanks to NRAS you find it's not just you that has the problems with RA. Hope this helps you.

[-Mii]

I have had this a few times when my jaw feels numb and feel like my teeth don't join together! ...it's a flare as the jaw is a joint and mine comes and goes thankfully returning to normal until the next flare!!

[movinalong11]

Yes, I have major jaw issues, aka, TMJ. Had it for years. I had many teeth problems, all my life, wear bridges and partial. My mouth is even crooked because of it..Dentists have wanted to do surgery on them. I have to wear a bite guard at night, and wake up w my jaws sore every morning. I wish I had known years ago that I had Sjogrens, fibromyalgia and RA, some of that may have been prevented.