TMJ Archives

Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear.

For the past couple of years, every few months whenever I talk or eat, my jaw bone right underneath one of my ears stabs me with pain. I am incapacitated for about 15-30 seconds. If I swallow or open my mouth, the pain intensifies greatly.
I visited my dentist once for a routine checkup, and I mentioned the pain to him since it was on the jaw bone. He took x-rays and he said that it was my wisdom teeth coming in. I believed that for the next couple of years up until last week.
My sinuses were bothering me and my ears were plugged. I was eating dinner when the attack happened. But this time the pain was underneath both ears instead of just one; and instead of lasting 30 seconds it lasted 2 hours. What got me thinking about an ear problem was that this time, I could feel the pain all the way up through my ears instead of just that one spot on the jaw directly under the ear.
That night the pain was so intense that I was sobbing and evertime I would swallow I would cry out in pain. I was so scared that I wanted to get in the car and drive to the hospital. But I took 3 tylenol and the pain soon passed.
Could you tell me what you think it is and how serious it is?

Follow Ups:

• Re: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. (Archive in TMJ.) Walt Stoll 07:33:08 4/17/02 (0)
• Re: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. Raisa 14:30:03 4/16/02 (1)
  • Re: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. Skye 21:32:01 4/16/02 (0)

In Reply to: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. posted by Skye on April 16, 2002 at 00:10:56:

Hi -
Did your wisdom teeth ever come in? Do you think that perhaps they are about to? It sometimes takes a long time for wisdom teeth to come in, and they do cause a lot of trouble sometimes. Maybe you should visit your dentist to check again if you haven't seen him recently. Good luck!
Raisa

Follow Ups:

• Re: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. Skye 21:32:01 4/16/02 (0)

In Reply to: Re: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. posted by Raisa on April 16, 2002 at 14:30:03:

Thanks Raisa.
I went to the doctor today and she said that it was either my eustachian tubes were plugged ( my eardrums were retracted) or that it was TMJ. I am definately going to the dentist soon to check on my wisdom teeth again ( they haven't come in yet) and also ask him if he thinks it is TMJ. So, I hope to find out soon.

In Reply to: Severe pain on the jawbone directly underneath the ear. posted by Skye on April 16, 2002 at 00:10:56:

Hi, Skye.

It is pretty apparent that this is TMJ, possibly triggered by your wisdom teeth (if you have not had that taken care of). TMJ frequently causes blockage of the eustacian tube.

See the archives about TMJ and about bracing.

Treatment of TMJ, by physicians who are not up to date with the concept and it's causes, can cause more harm than good--besides being very expensive. Just 20 years ago the official opinion of both the AMA and the ADA was that this condition did not exist and anyone who said that it did was a quack who should lose his license!

Walt