Pain In Your Back Molars After A Long Day At Work: 2 Possible Culprits

If you have found yourself with pain in your jaw and back molar region after a long and stressful day at work, then you're probably a bit panicked. The last thing you need is a major worry about your teeth. Whatever issue you were dealing with at work probably is stressing you out enough, you don't need to imagine root canals and all other sorts of procedures. In any event, whatever the solution turns out to be, it's best to know exactly what is wrong so that you can deal with it. Whatever the problem, you need to address it so that you don't let it get worse and end up distracted at work and with a dental problem that gets out of hand.

Jaw Clenching And Tooth Grinding

Stress could have caused you to clench your teeth, or even grind them. The technical term is bruxism. Some people do it during the night while they are sleeping, and others might also do it during the day. If you were under stress and sitting at your computer pouring over spreadsheets or something else and crunched for time, you might have become stressed and clenched your teeth for hours. This could have resulted in pain. The tricky part about jaw clenching is that you might not see the results until it's too late (cracked teeth!). So, if you feel pain head to the dentist and have them examine your teeth. The dentist will be able to examine your teeth and see if there is damage that signifies grinding. If they do find evidence, they will prescribe you a mouth guard. You can wear this at night, but you might also want to wear this during the day at your desk. It can be hard to remember not to clench your teeth, and if your mind slips, as it is likely to do when you're consumed with work on a deadline, you might end up clenching and grinding.

TMJ  (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction)

One of the issues you need to be aware of is TMJ. This happens when the joint or cartilage get damaged. This can happen because of clenching (another reason to get a mouth guard) or genetics, or it can be idiopathic. Your dentist will be able to examine your mouth and take x-rays and determine if there is any damage. If there is, then your dentist will discuss methods to alleviate the pain. The common treatments include medications taken in pill form, as well as mouth guards. In some cases, if the pain is severe at the time of your visit, your dentist might administer a corticosteroid shot.