Jaw Pain May Have Several Causes Sometimes jaw pain is just temporary. You may have over-used the muscles while chewing hard food, or even just slept on that side in an awkward position. Other times, however, chronic jaw pain can be a symptom of something more. It could be a problem associated with your TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and/or a malocclusion (poor bite) in which your teeth don't close together properly. [...]