What is the deal with that jaw pain I get when eating something sweet?

May 1, 2016 8:50 PM

Every so often when I'm eating something very sweet I'll get a pain at one or both of my jaw joints for ten seconds or so (once in a great while it lasts several minutes). From a recent conversation I discovered that it's pretty common for other people to get this too - or at least the ten-second version of it. But what is this? What is this phenomenon called (surely it has a name), and what causes it?
posted by Mechitar to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

This type of pain most commonly occurs with food and drink that has a lot of tannins in it, ie red wine.

Here is some more info.
"Your largest salivary glands, called the parotid glands, are located right above the TMJs and the hinges of your jaw. When these glands are suddenly called into action they can induce jaw-muscle contractions, spasms, and other painful feelings."
posted by Youremyworld at 9:25 PM on May 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

Because of some problems that run in the family with parotid gland stones, we all use prophylactic Lemonheads or Sour Patch Kids to keep the pipes clear. There's also a facial massage you can do to encourage them to do this thing, though I've never been told there's a name for the...squirt, basically.

The two times I've had blockages from stones*, they've been preceded by an especially painful twinge that doesn't stop after a minute or two and then the side of my face swells like a mump for several days. It's terrible. Eat your Lemonheads.

*When it finally emerges, it's a splinter so small it almost can't be seen without a magnifying glass. It's some tiny little passageways in there.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:52 PM on May 1, 2016

When I was a kid, my mother told me this was called a "saliva burst." Obviously that's a colloquial term and I don't know the medical term for it, but as for the medical reason I remember my psych 101 prof explaining that it is similar to Pavlov's dog drooling at the ringing of the bell with the initial sweet taste being the bell-like cue in the analogy.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:48 AM on May 2, 2016