The jaw is connected to the temporal bone on the side of the skull, and can be moved out of position -- known as a dislocation -- or broken on the lower portion -- known as a fracture. A fracture typically causes two points of breakage: a direct...
Radiation therapy of the head and neck can cause side effects to the teeth both in the short-term time frame and over the long-term after the treatment, according to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Radiation therapists work to...
Fosamax is a prescription drug used to treat bone loss, primarily in premenopausal women. Delivered in the form of a nasal spray, Fosamax belongs to the bisphosphonates class of drugs, and is designed to fight osteoporosis and occasionally treat...
The National Cancer Institute describes multiple myeloma as a kind of cancer that develops from white blood cells that make antibodies, called plasma cells. In multiple myeloma, too many plasma cells are made and crowd out all the normal healthy...
Many people delay trips to the dentist because they dread the discomfort of dental treatments. However, tooth and jaw pain associated with untreated oral health problems can be far more severe than the discomfort of preventive procedures. The...
Despite the name, you do not necessarily have to be a swimmer to get swimmer's ear. The risk of developing this condition goes up when water sits in your ear, but anything that irritates the canal may lead to an infection. Whether it affects the...
Bisphosphonates make up a class of drugs that prevent bone loss, and include intravenous and oral medications. Physicians most commonly prescribe them to treat osteoporosis and similar diseases. Bisphosphonates act by preventing cells called...
Ear pain can be caused by a number of reasons, depending on how serious the pain is and whether other symptoms are also present. For example, ear pain with a fever might indicate an infection or a ruptured eardrum. Pain on the jaw or tooth can...
Taking care of your gums and teeth is important to maintaining your health. Tooth decay and gum disease have been linked to cardiovascular disease and jaw infection. However, you can prevent gum disease and tooth decay by following a regimen for...
Aclasta (zolendronic acid) is a medication used to manage osteoporosis (a condition of decreased bone density) and Paget's disease, a condition in which your bones overgrow and become weaker. Aclasta is a bisphosphonate that slows bone...
Located in the very back of the mouth, wisdom teeth are the last to erupt and usually appear anytime from your late teens to mid-twenties. People normally have four wisdom teeth, according to the Better Health Channel, with one tooth on the top...
Inflammation of the dental pulp can cause a mild, moderate or severe toothache. This small soft tissue structure found inside a tooth contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue and functions to create the tooth's hard structure during...
The tonsils are soft tissues that reside at the back of the throat to help fight infection. Sometimes the tonsils can grow really large and need to be removed. In some cases, the tonsils may become infected, and white pus starts to form on them....
Pamidronate is a medication used to manage high blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia) that occur as a result of such diseases as Paget's disease and cancer. It can also treat bone destruction, says Drugs.com. Pamidronate is a bisphosphonate...
Zometa (generic name: zolendronic acid) is a medication used to treat bone cancer, hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels) due to cancer and multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer), says Drugs.com. Zometa is slowly given intravenously (through...
When your teeth already hurt, an upset stomach only contributes to your anguish. However, both symptoms can indicate the presence of a medical condition that a physician should treat. Knowing how your symptoms interrelate can help you to get the...
An infection in the ear often causes an earache. Pain from the infection can be felt inside and outside the ear, including the cartilage. Infections can affect the middle ear or outer ear canal. According to the Seattle Children's Hospital, ear...
There are many causes of jaw pain. Jaw pain can be caused by physical stress on any of the structures that compose the jaw, including the jaw bone, cartilage, face, jaw and neck muscles, teeth, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves. Trauma is a...
Each tooth is made up three distinct layers: an inner pulp layer that is made up of nerves, blood vessels and cells; a layer of calcified tissue called dentin; and an outer layer of enamel, an extremely hard tissue that protects the tooth. Tooth...
Mandibular jaw pain can be caused by numerous problems. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, mandibular or lower jaw pain can lead to many complications, including difficulty eating,...
Hockey requires balance, speed, and quick reflexes, and even a minor earache can be enough of an irritation to throw off your game. Playing the sport doesn't necessarily cause earaches, but it can make them worse. Don't put off medical treatment,...
Numerous conditions and injuries can cause jaw and face pain. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, most jaw and face pain is harmless and temporary. Pain in the affected area usually dissipates on its own, with...
A tooth abscess is the result of a bacterial infection. When trauma or decay damages a tooth, it leaves an opening in which bacteria can enter. If the tooth becomes infected, a pus-filled sac develops that is actually a collection of the bacteria,...
The exterior of a tooth is a hard surface called the enamel. Another layer called dentin is beneath the enamel. The dentin surrounds a core area of soft connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves. This core is called the pulp. It extends from the...
An earache may occur for many different reasons. Some individuals feel pain in the ear when they have from toothaches, sinus infections or a sore throats. An infection in the middle or outer ear will cause pain. Arthritis in the jaw or...
Toothache pain strikes nearly everyone at some point in their lives, causing mild to severe discomfort. While mild toothache pain probably won't interrupt your usual activities, a major toothache is so painful that it can be hard to concentrate on...
Periodontitis is infection and irritation of your teeth's support structures, including certain ligaments and bones. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that periodontitis is a leading cause of tooth loss among American...
The teeth are hard calcified structures that play a role in eating, speech and communication. Each tooth is made up of three layers: an innermost layer of pulp, which contains blood vessels, nerves and pulp cells; dentin, a calcified layer that...
Inflammation of a tooth nerve can cause a sudden and severe pain that drives patients to seek emergency care. Fortunately, most toothaches are temporary and due to a sensitive tooth, according to the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at...