What if your jaw locks

Whether you manage to get your jaw unlocked or not, the next step is to call your dentist. Even if you were able to get your jaw moving again, the jaw lock is an indicator of extreme damage to your articular disc.

Historically, it was common for surgery to be the first response to a locking jaw. Fortunately, studies have since indicated that a combination of anti-inflammatory agents, physical therapy, and dental splints can effectively reduce symptoms.

By Dr. Rod Strober October 27th, People often lose patience with the limitations of traditional dentures. Dentures are often loose-fitting and slip out of place. We make your privacy our top priority. What Is a Jaw Lock? What Can Be Done? Since then, I have had pain everyday. The muscles on the right side of my face throb throughout the day. The heat makes the pain last even longer which is why I left Florida to move back home to Ma. My face loves the cold weather.

Thinking about trying botox, not sure. The only thing that helps my pain is ibuprofen, hydrocortizone and cold weather. I grind my teeth. I do have a dentist appointment coming up in March so I will revisit it again. Grumbles Just kidding! Thank you for the informative article! Dana, I tell you from experience. If you need one get one and use it no matter what. I have slept with a night guard for probably a decade now. I am on my second dentist made guard because I bit the other one in two over time.

I see that the newer model has a metal piece in the spot where I split mine. I wound up splitting a pre-molar that cost a lot more! My jaw has locked more than once. This is serious and getting used to the guard is easy.

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Recent Blog Articles. Health news headlines can be deceiving. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals.

Symptoms include stiffness in the abdomen, trouble swallowing, and painful muscle contractions in the jaw and neck. The tetanus vaccine Tdap prevents against this infection and has reduced the incidence of tetanus significantly in the United States. In some cases, you may be able to relieve tight jaw muscles using targeted exercises and stretches.

Here are three you can try:. Repeat small mouth-opening and mouth-closing movements several times as a warm up. Then, place your fingers on the top of your front four bottom teeth. Slowly pull down until you feel slight discomfort on the tight side of your jaw. Hold for 30 seconds, and then slowly release your jaw back to the staring position. Press the tip of your tongue onto the roof of your mouth, directly behind your top front teeth without touching them.

Next, use your tongue to apply gentle pressure. Slowly open your mouth as wide as you can, then slowly close it shut. Stop at the point where you feel discomfort. Repeat up to 10 times. Smile the widest smile you can without feeling tightness or pain. While smiling, slowly open your jaw an additional 2 inches.

Inhale deeply through your mouth, then exhale while letting go of the smile. You may benefit from wearing a mouth guard, especially if your jaw tightness is caused by clenching or grinding your teeth in your sleep. There are several types of mouth guards available. You may need a specific type based on the cause of your condition.

You doctor or dentist should be able to recommend an appropriate mouth guard. This will help reduce wear and tear on the teeth. It may also help to eliminate jaw tightness and pain. Mouth guards for bruxism can be made of several materials, ranging from hard acrylic to soft plastics.

There are many over-the-counter brands of mouth guards available, although it might be preferable to have one custom made to your mouth. Custom-made mouth guards are a more expensive option, but they allow for varying levels of thickness based upon the severity of your teeth grinding.

If you have a joint disorder, such as TMD, your dentist may recommend a mouth guard called a splint. Splints are made of hard or soft acrylic, and are usually custom made. This helps reduce the strain on your jaw bone and surrounding muscles. Your dentist may recommend you wear the splint 24 hours a day rather than just at night.

Treatment may last from months to years. Massaging your jaw may help increase blood flow and reduce muscle tightness. You can try this by opening your mouth and gently rubbing the muscles next to your ears in a circular motion. This is the area where the temporomandibular joints are located.