Pain from jaw but not teeth - How to make it stop

[KoalaMumma]

So, I know that pregnancy messes with your teeth and gums quite a bit but this doesn't feel connected to that.
I'm 32+4 with my first, and have insane pain in my lower jaw and cheek bone shooting up to my ear and temple on one side.
I can barely function the pain is that bad. I had one or 2 episodes of it a few weeks ago then it stopped, and now for the last 2 days it has been fairly constant.
The first few times it happened I tried brushing my teeth in a massage-y way (mostly my gums) and that did releave the pain. More and more experimentation with brushing and I realised it wasn't my teeth and gums that needed it. A part of brushing, pushed my toothbrush into the inside fleshy part of my cheek like a pressure point and that is what was easing the pain. Unfortunately that has now stopped working as well so I am left with the pain. I have also brushed my teeth and cheek so many times in the last 2 days they are raw.
Eating something on that side also helps the pain slightly as it also masages the area, but there is only so long you can chew on something for.
I have had a lot of sinus swelling for my entire pregnancy, and the only way I can describe it is that the swelling is increasing and is now pressing on a nerve that is causing it.
Paracetamol doesn't touch the pain in any way and I'm on a prescription for asprin.
Also, just for extra fun. I am ill too. 1st time I got the pains I was fine otherwise. Now I have a beast of a cold to go with it (done covid tests and they negative). So I imagine that is making swelling much much bigger.

Has anyone had anything similar? And how did you get it to stop hurting?

Sounds like TMD -- Temporal Medular Dysfunction. The pain from the temple to the jaw is a sign you are clenching your teeth and or.jaw muscles. It is,as you say, very painful. My dentist could find.nothing wrong and referred me to the dental hospital.
The consultant there had devised a dental plate that prevented you from biting down in your sleep.
I got a week's supply of a mild tranquilliser to
.take at bedtime and a little plate to goover my bottom teeth. It was extraordinary how quickly it worked and got rid of the pain. After a few months I could get rid of the plate as well and the tension in my jaw never returned.

So, off to the dentist to see if you have the same problem. I hope so because it is so easy to fix.

An update in case anyone ends up here in the future looking for help.

This post was written on a Friday for timeline.

I had the pain from late Wednesday building all day Thursday and Friday.
I was clearly unwell on Thur and Fri but testing negative for Covid.
I got a positive Covid test at 7am on Saturday morning. It was deffo the sinus swelling pressing on the nerve endings in my jaw.
In those rare rare moments when I could clear my nose (usually by accident when bending down or climbing the stairs too fast rather than blowing) the pain went away or at least eased.

I was put on blood thinners - Fragmin - 4 hours after I tested positive on Saturday (MAU phone call)
I ended up calling 111 on Monday morning because the pain was unbearable and my GP wouldn't answer the phone.
By 6pm I got a call back from a Dr who told me to go to A&E.
They were fairly useless and gave me a prescriotion for Amoxicillin to help clear any infection even though its useless against Covid.
Called the MAU sobbing in pain on Tuesday as I still hadn't had any succeful pain relief by this point. Midwife said to take codeine.
The pharmacist wouldn't sell any because I'm pregnant so needed GP sign off which he wouldn't do without an appointment. Next available appointment was in 5 weeks.....
MAU emailed and phoned GP and basicly tell him to f***g sign it now.
He said he'd get round to it.
36 HOURS LATER, at 5pm on Wednesday, I finally got a prescription for some pain killers.
An hour after taking them I could finally lift my head enough to function and took another Covid test which by now was finally negative.

Over the last 24 hours my Covid symptoms have started to pass fully and whilst I'm still getting spikes of jaw pain occationally, it's when my nose briefly re blocks. Clearing my sinuses removes the pain once again.

Just a very very unlucky nerve ending that got caught up and tangled for a while.

Any one who has similar pain and congestion at the same time.... Find ways to clear your sinuses and keep them that way! I am looking at getting one of those sinus flushers that looks like a tea pot to have in the house for the future becasue it was so horrific.
Steam. An olbas inhaler. Tipping your head one way or another. Anything to keep the sinuses clear halps with the pain!

I was fairly sure it wasn't pain from clenching or grinding because I have an overbite which means the part of my jaw in question doesn't touch. Evenwhen eating so they never clench or grind.