Sprained tooth syndrome?

[Susanne]

What exactly is sprained tooth syndrome? Can it occur if a person vigorously chews a large wad of sugarless gum often over a short period of time? I have been chewing a lot of gum the past few days - stress-related, I suppose - and have noticed my jaws and teeth feel achy or sore now. I stopped chewing the gum last night, but I'm wondering how long it will take for the achiness to go away and what I can do to manage it in the meantime.

 

[Gordon]

The teeth are held in place by little ligaments, if they are over stressed, then the ligament area gets inflamed and painful. Same as if you sprain an ankle or other joint but on a much smaller scale.
It can take a few days to a week to clear up, depending on how much damage was done and how fast you generally heal.

 

[geos]

One thing to add that stays in the same line of idea of the sprained ankle from Gordon. A dentist once told me that if you hurt your ankle, you will try not to use it for some time and will slowly try using it until you are sure everything is fine before putting your full weight on it. Well, it’s the same concept with your teeth.