My dad has pain in his jaw orthodontist said nothing to do with bone structure but more like muscle tissue what could it be

Need evaluation: Jaw pain can be related to clenching or grinding of the teeth or trauma. This needs to be evaluated by a dentist so he can get the. Treatment that he needs. This type of problem is usually treated with a night guard.

Clenching teeth: Most jaw pain (tmd) is the result of macrotrauma (injury) or microtrauma (chronic clenching usally in sleep). If it is worse in the morning it us probably clenching at night. A splint or bite plate will unload the joints and relieve the symptoms. I suggest he ask his orthodontist about this. Beware of TMJ specialists.

Muscles.........: Muscles of the jaw can be overused, misused, get fatigued, go into spasm, or micro tears just like any other of the muscles of the body. This can occur from chewing gum, clenching, grinding, biting hard foods, etc. Try warm hot compresses, NSAID anti-inflammatory medications such as advil, motrin, aleve, (naproxen) and a soft diet & see what happens. If it gets worse\not better in a few days, see dds.

TMJ?: Agree that there is a muscular component or perhaps joint inflammation. Could be referred pain from trigger points elsewhere in the body or perhaps related to malocclusion. But the otrho is likely correct. Fix the bite with a removable orthosis. After symptoms are gone, consider what else can be done, if needed!

Tmj?: Your father should see a TMJ specialist this may help answer his questions ..They specialize in jaw pain.

A few possibilities: Jaw pain can be arthrogenic (joint) or myogenic (muscle) in nature, or a combination of both.Pain can be elicited from incoordination between the joint's axis of closure and the tooth positions, from joint disease(i.e., arthritis), and from parafunctional habits (i.e. Clenching or grinding). Consult a craniomandibular (TMJ) specialist for a comprehensive analysis of your dad's condition.

TMD or MFP: Your father may have malocclusion w concomitant TemporoMadibular joint Dysfunction or MyoFacial Pain dysfunction syndrome. If the Orthodontist you saw is not comfortable treating these issues, seek another opinion.