Maxillofacial pain includes a number of clinical problems involving the chewing (masticatory) muscles or temporomandibular joint. It presents a variety of clinical forms. Problems can include temporomandibular joint discomfort; muscle spasms in the head, neck and jaw; migraines, cluster or frequent headaches; pain with the teeth, face or jaw; or anxiety or depression. You swallow approximately 2,000 times per day, which causes the upper and lower teeth to come together and push against the skull. People who have an unstable bite, missing teeth, or poorly aligned teeth can have trouble because the muscles work harder to bring the teeth together, causing strain. Pain also can be caused by clenching or grinding teeth, trauma to the head and neck, or poor ergonomics. Some may experience pain in the ears, eyes, sinuses, cheeks or side of the head, while others experience clicking when moving the jaw or even locking if the jaw is opened or closed..

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Temporomandibular disorders (TMD):

To day in the world many people have TMD, or problems affecting the jaw joint and/or muscles. Your temporomandibular joints are located where the skull connects to your lower jaw. To feel these joints, place your fingers in front of both ears and open your mouth. The muscles on the sides of your head and face control the joints' movements. Researchers believe women between 20 and 40 are most likely to suffer from TMD because of the added estrogen in their bodies.
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Headaches:

Many people suffer from headaches. Experts estimate that 80 percent of the headaches are caused by muscle tension, which may be related to the bite. Headaches also can be caused by clenching jaw muscles for long periods of time. Signs that may indicate a headache from a dental origin include:

Sleep disorders

such as bruxism, or a sleep-related breathing disorder, such as snoring or sleep apnea. Bruxism is the technical term for grinding and clenching. Snoring that goes undiagnosed may lead to an increased tendency for the airway to collapse, leading to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition when the tissues and muscles in the back of the throat collapse the airway. This can cause a person to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night, sometimes without knowing it.

Atypical facial pain must be distinguished from trigeminal neuralgia. It also must be distinguished from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, migraine, and cluster headache.

* Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by severe bursts of pain in one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve.

The bursts are quick, repetitive jabs of pain (lancinations). Each pain episode is only an instant in duration; the episodes recur irregularly many times a minute. 

Trigeminal neuralgia episodes are not in synchrony with the heart beat or pulse (usually slower). 

The patient may wince, twitch, or cry out when a series of pain jabs occurs. 

The pain is excruciating.