Could teeth grinding cause one side of your jaw to swell? If not what could?

Yes it is probably causing stress on the joints of your jaw. I know when the wind blows hard I clench my teeth and grind them. OHHHH, the pain! And the dentist says that’s what’s causing it.

But why would only one side be swollen?

Best to see your dentist. You might need a mouth guard at night to help with teeth grinding…and it could be that you grind harder on one side. But only your dentist would be able to help you with that, and maybe you would need to see an oral surgeon/TMJ specialist.

I have a mouthgaurd, i just spit it out out night

Like autumn said I tend to clench the right side harder. Could have something to do with the way we sleep too. I tend to sleep on my right side.

Oh is the night guard one from the dentist or one that you buy at the store and fit to yourself. I couldn’t use the store one. The one from the dentist is formed to my teeth and fits tight like a shrink wrap over my teeth.

ya its from the dentists but if you bite on one side the other side kinda comes off so it is really easy to get off in my sleep, i told my dentist about the other side poping off everytime i bite it and he really didnt do any thing, i am going to my general doctor tomorrow so i will see what she thinks.

Here is some information for you. I think you should see a dentist that specializes in TMJ. Ask your doctor to refer you to someone if you don’t feel your own dentist is qualified. In extreme cases, this can lead to fibromyalgia. This happened to my daughter. I hope you find someone to help you with this.

Sounds like you have already been diagnosed with TMJ. If it is worse on one side you would notice the inflammation more on that side. You should see a neuromuscular dentist. It’s important to wear the night guard – after wearing mine consistently for a week I could open my mouth a whole inch wider. The neuromuscular dentist can work with you to find a guard that will stay on and adjust it so it’s comfortable. Swelling and inflammation from stressed jaw joints can cause vision problems, anxiety, and bad mood – it’s called myofascial pain disorder. It’s important to realize that if it is worse on one side you may be throwing your entire body off to try to compensate – which can cause sciatica later on down the road. Best to fix it now!

Most likely it’s an infection. Teeth grinding causes abrasion of the teeth and in time increased sensibility to cold, sweet and hot.