After removing a tooth, I can’t open my mouth wide. What to do if your mouth cannot open after wisdom tooth removal? Features of wisdom tooth removal

Wisdom teeth removal is a common but complex operation. The difficulty of carrying out is explained by the structure of the eights and their remote location. Side effects can occur even if medical recommendations are strictly followed. Possible complications include swelling and high temperature. Patients also often complain that it is difficult and painful to open their mouth after removal. Is this phenomenon dangerous? Mouth won't open

Features of wisdom tooth removal

The procedure depends on how the figure eight is located in the bone. If the position and growth are normal, anesthesia is first performed, then the circular ligament is detached, then the doctor applies forceps and performs gentle rocking movements.

After the tooth is unbalanced, traction is carefully performed - extraction. Final manipulations - disinfection, creating a clot for regeneration, adding medicine (if necessary). If semi-retention or retention of a tooth is observed, its removal is complicated.

Complex removal of figure eights involves cutting soft tissues, drilling out the remains of the tooth and root, and suturing the gums. After such an intervention, the recovery period takes a long period of time, and the risk of complications is high.

Why does the jaw not open after removing the figure eight?

Immediately after removal or after a few hours, the place where the wisdom tooth was previously located swells. In some patients this process is very intense. This causes pain when opening the mouth. A condition in which it is difficult or impossible to open the mouth is called trismus or tonic muscle spasm in dentistry.

Wisdom tooth removal

Trismus is usually not a pathology. This is a normal post-operative phenomenon, which does not require specific treatment. The mechanism for the appearance of trismus is associated with damage to the tissues of the oral cavity, with muscle tension (if the patient keeps his mouth open for a long time). Also, during removal, blood vessels and nerves are affected, swelling and pain occur - this causes difficulty opening the mouth.

This condition goes away on its own after 1-3 weeks. To speed up, it is allowed to carry out special gymnastics.

In what cases is it difficult to open the mouth due to serious and dangerous complications of removal?

• Another tooth is affected by periodontitis or chronic latent pulpitis. Such inflammation could be asymptomatic and worsen after removal of the eight.
• The roots of adjacent teeth are intertwined and closely spaced. When wisdom teeth were removed, they were injured and acute pulpitis developed.
• The facial muscles that are involved in the chewing process are inflamed.
• Damage to the temporomandibular joint.
• A number of dentist mistakes include insufficient pain relief, incorrect application of the instrument, disturbances in rocking, and forceful removal of the tooth.

How can I solve the problem?

If, after the figure eight removal procedure, you experience difficulty opening your mouth, a second consultation with your dentist is necessary. The specialist will accurately determine the cause and prescribe measures to eliminate the problem. To alleviate the condition, you may need to re-clean the socket, physiotherapy, take antibiotics or special exercises.

Re-cleaning the hole

Hole after wisdom tooth removal

A socket is an open cavity that remains after molars are removed. Repeated cleaning may be necessary if there is a dry socket, the area does not heal, or becomes inflamed, which causes difficulty opening the mouth. During repeated cleaning, the dentist performs a number of manipulations:

• checks whether roots remain inside;
• treats with antibacterial drugs;
• closes the hole with a sterile swab.

If there are roots left inside, they must be removed immediately, as they may begin to rot. For removal, dentists use tweezers or a scalpel to cut through the gums. Then a repeat x-ray is prescribed to determine the cleanliness of the hole. A clean hole heals after 2 weeks.

Physiotherapy

Ultraviolet (UVR)

Irradiation of the well with a spectrum of rays. Start with 2 and end with 6 biodoses. The course of treatment is 4-6 treatments.

Result:

1. Reducing the virulence of bacteria.
2. Activation of regeneration processes.
3. Anti-inflammatory effect.

Fluctuarization

It is carried out in conjunction with the Ural Federal District. The well is exposed to the first form of current. Drug electrophoresis of anesthetics (usually Trimecaine). The session lasts 20 minutes, the number of repetitions is 6. Reduces pain and relieves swelling.

Laser therapy

Infrared exposure in the oral cavity for 1-2 minutes. Course – 2-3 repetitions. Reduces inflammation, reduces swelling and tissue hyperemia.

Physiotherapy

Magnetotherapy

Exposure to magnetic field. Course – 20 procedures. The duration of one is 25 minutes. Relieves severe pain.

Antibiotics

Medicines in this group are prescribed only in the presence of an infectious-inflammatory process at the site of wisdom tooth extraction. Antibiotics are also indicated if at the time of the procedure the patient had an abscess, gumboil, or periodontitis. Medicines will also help eliminate complications after the intervention. Dentists prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics:

• Amoxiclav;
• Vilprafen;
• Lincomycin;
• Neomecin;
• Olethetrin.

Lincomycin

Other actions

If trismus is caused by a normal reaction of the body, it is recommended to develop and restore jaw mobility. Before performing such gymnastics, consultation with a dentist is required. Throughout the day, you need to carefully open and close your mouth, more and more each time.

You can chew gum, but not very intensely. Trismus can develop only with mild painful sensations. You can combine exercises with rinsing your mouth with herbal solutions.

You can unclench and open your jaws only when trismus is a normal phenomenon and is not accompanied by acute pain. Making efforts, applying force, or stretching the jaws is prohibited.

It is important for the patient to remember that on the first day after the procedure, solid food and stress on the jaw are prohibited. At this time, a light diet (soups, cereals, jelly) is recommended. You can return to a normal diet and work your jaw intensively only from 6-7 days after removal. Also, on the day of removal, you should not brush your teeth.

Immediately after removal, hot drinks, visiting baths, saunas are prohibited - pathogenic microflora in the hole will begin to actively multiply or bleeding will begin. Exercising or drinking alcohol can also cause bleeding.

First 2 days Do not rinse your mouth, since the removal site should be delayed. When the hole dries, you can make baths with chamomile, sage, baking soda - take the infusion into your mouth and hold it on the sore side, do not rinse.

After removing the figure eight, the patient should be prepared for some possible side effects. During the recovery period, it is important to monitor your condition and contact your dentist if suspicious symptoms appear. If it is difficult to open your mouth after removal, you first need to find out the reason, and then take measures to eliminate the problem.

Jaw pain when opening the mouth is a common complaint among people of any age. It is in vain to think that unpleasant sensations will go away on their own. The disease that caused them will progress if left untreated. This will lead to other serious complications, pathology of the temporomandibular joint, and other health problems.

Structure and functions of the TMJ

The TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, is a paired organ in which movement occurs synchronously. This ensures chewing functions and correct articulation. The joint is complex and subject to constant loads. Its structure and proximity to the nasal sinuses, ear and dentofacial apparatus makes the organ vulnerable to infectious lesions.

The lateral pterygoid muscles additionally participate in the movements of the jaw joints, which pull the ligaments, providing motor activity. There are several functions of joints, each of which is unique. These are frontal movements when opening, closing the mouth, and articulation. There are also lateral and vertical movements when chewing food and sagittal movements for protruding the lower jaw.

A healthy temporomandibular joint has the following structure:

• ellipsoidal articular head of the lower jaw;
• the articular fossa, divided in half by the petrotympanic fissure;
• joint capsule - a durable shell of connective tissue (it protects the joint from bacteria);
• tubercle - a cylindrical protrusion in front of the glenoid fossa;
• a plate of cartilage tissue (disc) between the articular surfaces, thanks to which the joint moves in different projections;
• ligaments that regulate movements: lateral, sphenomandibular, temporomandibular.

The structure of the human TMJ changes after tooth loss. The articular head gradually dissolves and reaches the state of a fossa. In addition, the posterior tubercle becomes flattened, which leads to limited mobility and impaired functioning.

Joint dysfunction occurs due to various situations that can disrupt the bite, lead to facial asymmetry, and jaw jamming.

The nature of pain and the mechanism of its occurrence

When it is painful to open your mouth wide, or it is completely jammed, this almost always indicates an inflammatory process, a violation of the anatomy and functions of tissues. The pain can spread to all areas of the face, shoot into the ear, cause migraines, and discomfort with visual strain. It can be different - long-term and short-term, aching and acute, which is taken into account when making a diagnosis.

Aching pain in the lower jaw accompanies the inflammatory process, and burning pain occurs with neuralgia. Cutting pain is usually diagnosed as a bone injury. People who find it painful to chew or open their jaws wide often blame pathology of the skeletal system as the cause. However, the disease can also affect surrounding tissues. If the patient ignores the pain, unpleasant symptoms will soon occur even with the jaw closed.

Under the influence of certain diseases, the jaw can jam and hurt on the left or right side. Pain on the left side may indicate poor circulation or problems with the blood vessels of the heart. Its right-sided nature is observed in neoplasms and inflammatory processes. If your jaw hurts everywhere and constantly, you can suspect an oncological factor.

It happens that the jaw cramps after sleep, and in the morning, at rest, cramps appear. You should not delay your visit to the doctor. Especially if the disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• spasms with fever;
• throbbing pain with spasms;
• severe pain radiates to any ear, eye (we recommend reading: what to do if toothache radiates to the ear?);
• swelling;
• mouth does not open;
• it hurts to chew for a long time;
• cramps in the lower part of the face.

When you open your mouth

Pain when opening the mouth is a consequence of a dislocation or fracture. If there has been no recent injury, these options are excluded. In this case, the cause of discomfort is osteomyelitis. Other pathologies that lead to sharp, aching or acute pain when working the jaws are dental diseases, among which caries ranks first. This also happens when dentures are installed incorrectly.

When chewing and closing teeth

If the jaw system aches, ache, bothers you when chewing or connecting teeth, you can suspect its dislocation or osteomyelitis. Other ailments that lead to discomfort when closing teeth include periodontitis, pulpitis, and complicated caries. When they exacerbate, the pain is pulsating in nature, radiates to the temple, and intensifies during moments of rest and night rest.

In the chronic form of pathologies, periodic aching pain is possible, which worsens with chewing load on the affected tooth or gum area. Certain foods and alcohol can also provoke discomfort when chewing. Leading to spasm of the esophagus, they also cause muscle spasm and jamming of the jaw.

Pressure

Pain in the cheek area when pressed has various causes. It can appear near the right or left side of the ears, or occur when palpating the upper or lower part. The cause of burning is often arteritis of the facial artery. With phlegmon, fistulas and abscess, the jaw will hurt even with a light touch at rest, and this symptom will be accompanied by others that cannot be ignored.

Pain when pressing on the teeth and gums indicates their pathology and dental problems. It often worries when there is abnormal eruption of a wisdom tooth, as well as accidental injury to the jaw.

Causes of pain in the jaw near the ear

Doctors often encounter patient complaints of pain in the jaw near the ear, pain in the ear when chewing. This symptom is not always associated with dental problems, and pain can be caused by the following reasons:

Pain in the jaw near the ear and temple is often observed due to carotidynia. This disease is similar to migraine, which is characterized by aching pain in the ear area, radiating to the lower jaw and eye socket. The pain is monotonous, but acute attacks occur that last from a couple of minutes to an hour. Carotidynia occurs when the temporal artery is dissected, a tumor in the area of ​​the carotid artery.

Associated symptoms

Any discomfort when the mouth does not open completely, or the jaw hurts on the right/left, cannot be ignored. Especially if it hurts a child. The accompanying symptoms will tell you that the pain is not random:

Diagnostic methods

If you complain of pain near the cheekbones when yawning, eating, or talking, a visual examination is performed. Afterwards, radiography, MRI, ultrasound, and ECG are prescribed (if heart failure is suspected). The disease is differentiated depending on the type of origin:

• dental problems;
• neurology;
• pathology of the cardiovascular system;
• ENT diseases;
• injuries;
• neoplasms.

Diagnosis of cardiovascular, bone and ENT pathologies is carried out on the basis of analyzes and examination data. X-rays and MRIs will help identify why the skin on the face or a tooth hurts, why the mouth cannot open, and identify tumors.

Oncology is much more difficult to diagnose. Tests for tumor markers, tomography and other modern methods help with this. Based on the diagnostic results, a treatment tactic is selected, the duration of which depends on the degree of neglect of the disease.

Which doctor should I contact?

Which doctor will help if your lower jaw hurts? If it hurts to chew and the problem is in your teeth and gums, you should make an appointment with a dentist. After an injury, if the jaw joints are jammed or the mouth is not fully opened, you should see a maxillofacial surgeon.

Often the patient does not find the cause, and the discomfort progresses: the ear on the right, cheekbones, and the area near the neck hurt. In this case, you should consult a therapist. After the examination, he will tell you which doctor to contact, give a referral to an orthopedist, rheumatologist, neurologist, gnathologist, cardiologist, ENT specialist, gastroenterologist and other specialized specialists.

How to treat the jaw joint?

Analgesics will help relieve acute pain in the jaw joints. However, taking them will not solve the problem once and for all. It is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of the pathology, which becomes:

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for combating painful sensations when opening the jaw and pathologies of its joints are used as an addition to the main treatment. They will not help if your jaw is jammed, but they will relieve pain symptoms. After consultation with your doctor, you can use the following recipes:

Additionally, according to the doctor's indications, you can do therapeutic exercises. The set of exercises is something like this (repeat 5 times every day):

• frown, then raise your eyebrows in surprise;
• squint your eyes;
• smile with closed lips, and then with an open mouth;
• stick out your lips with a tube;
• inflate and deflate cheeks;
• relax your face, stroke your temples and cheekbones.

Pain when opening the jaw has many causes, which are not easy to prevent. Experts recommend avoiding traumatic sports, monitoring your diet, and promptly treating gingivitis, caries and other dental pathologies. You should be wary of hypothermia, infectious diseases, and stress, which have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system.

Movements of the jaw left and right, up and down allow a person to chew food, talk, and reproduce certain sounds. Together with the temporal bones, the lower jaw forms the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - it is failures in its functions that lead to the jaw becoming wedged. It happens that TMJ dysfunction causes the inability to open and close the mouth.

Why is there a problem?

The “culprit” for the jammed jaw is the TMJ. This formation, from an anatomical point of view, is problematic - with significant mobility, its individual elements (pits, processes, articular cavity) do not correspond to each other in size. It is this structure of the joint that ensures the ability to move the lower jaw to the right and left to carry out full chewing movements.

Important! According to medical statistics, at least 70% of the world's population experience malfunctions of the TMJ.

The reasons that the jaw does not open completely can be varied:

• malocclusion;
• dental treatment performed (for example, wisdom tooth removal);
• prosthetics;
• bruxism and the accompanying rapid wear of tooth enamel;
• the jaw also jams after injuries to the face, neck, or when eating hard, rough food;
• Often the problem becomes a consequence of an anomaly in the structure of the dentition.

Specific anatomy increases the risk of arthrosis and arthritis. dislocations, dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint

There is also a myogenic theory of TMJ dysfunction - its supporters explain the inability to open the mouth wide with spasms of the facial muscles. Thus, the causes of the anomaly are hypertonicity of the masticatory and facial muscles, increased speech load (in people of public professions). Some doctors associate malfunctions in the TMJ with psychogenic factors - disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system. Emotional stress caused by frequent stress also affects the functions of this joint.

TMJ dysfunction also has a hereditary basis, if from birth the sizes of the heads and articular fossae do not match. It happens that the cause of a jammed jaw is a dislocation of the TMJ. You can get such an injury when chewing hard food or opening your mouth wide while yawning, or using a mouth opener in the dental office.

Dislocation of the TMJ can be caused by:

• injuries to the jaw and teeth;
• habit of opening bottles with teeth;
• shallow fossa, weak ligaments and other anatomical features of the joint.

Important! TMJ dislocations can be unilateral or bilateral.

In what cases is a doctor needed?

It is not difficult to “recognize” disturbances in the functioning of the temporomandibular joint. They “make themselves known” with pain in the jaw, head, ears, and neck. Discomfort may appear in the area of ​​so-called trigger points on the cheekbones, temples, and cheeks. Sometimes TMJ dysfunction is accompanied by toothache and a feeling of squeezing in the eyeballs. Difficulty opening the mouth is a classic manifestation of the problem. Sometimes the jaw jams completely; in order to move it, a person has to search for a long time for a suitable position of the head.

The inability to open your mouth wide, pain in the neck, temporal region, eyeballs, crunching in the joints when chewing or speaking are classic signs of TMJ dysfunction

An early “signal” of TMJ dysfunction is a characteristic clicking sound in the joint when opening the mouth. Additional signs:

• insomnia;
• increased irritability or apathy;
• weakness, malaise;
• xerotomia (dry mouth);
• noise, ringing in the ears;
• night snoring;
• characteristic muscle pain;
• decreased vision;
• twitching of the eye muscles.

Classic symptoms of TMJ dislocation are: difficulty speaking, chewing, dysphagia, excessive drooling, pain in the joint or joints. The lower jaw visually looks slanted, shifted to the side, and the face becomes asymmetrical. The habit of chewing hard objects or opening bottles with your teeth can sooner or later result in a dislocation of the temporomandibular joint.

First aid

The joint can jam spontaneously - for example, after a strong cry or prolonged chewing of solid food. It is important to know what you can do on your own to alleviate the condition before going to the doctor. So, a warm compress or a heating pad is applied to the sore joint, and then, on the contrary, ice or a cold towel. Such contrast procedures must be repeated once an hour.

To cope with pain, take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Analgin, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol). If indicated, local muscle relaxants are used (creams, ointments that relax muscles and relieve spasms).

Medical measures

Effective professional treatment for TMJ dysfunction requires eliminating the root cause of the problem. Thus, patients are advised to wear special orthopedic splints to normalize the functioning of the joint, drug therapy is carried out to relieve symptoms of inflammation, and in severe cases, surgical intervention is performed to regenerate individual areas of bone tissue. Physiotherapy is a mandatory component of the complex treatment of TMJ dysfunction.

With various disorders of the TMJ, the face becomes puffy, asymmetrical, the lower jaw can be pushed forward or to the side

First of all, this is a gentle speech regime, refusal of solid food that is difficult to chew, and normalization of the daily routine. It is useful to do special gymnastics for the facial muscles, it is recommended to avoid stress, and promptly treat systemic and local dental diseases of an infectious-inflammatory nature. What to do if your jaw is jammed due to dislocation: consult a doctor (oral and maxillofacial surgeon, dentist). The specialist will straighten the joint without anesthesia in case of unilateral injury and under anesthesia in case of bilateral injury.

During medical procedures, the doctor returns the head of the joint to the fossa. So, jamming of the jaw can be associated with “local” injuries, increased load during chewing, diction and other factors causing TMJ dysfunction. If such a problem arises, you must immediately seek help from a doctor (orthopedic dentist, maxillofacial surgeon) for diagnosis and selection of a treatment strategy.

03.09.2014, 19:57

Hello, dear doctors!

I am 22 years old, no children, no injuries, moderate stress.
My problem first arose in the winter of 2013, then at some point I realized that I could not open my mouth not only to the maximum, but to more than 1 finger. But this symptom went away after 5 minutes, and I happily forgot about this incident. I remembered about it in the spring of 2014, when my mouth became jammed for more than 3 hours. I went to the emergency room at my place of residence, where they refused to consult me, explaining that since there was no injury, it was not their place. I went to the dentist - they also refused, and they sent me to a maxillofacial surgeon. I am not accepted under insurance; all appointments are paid.
In connection with this, I am turning to you for independent advice - who should I go to and what expectations should I have:
Previously, the symptoms lasted no more than 3 hours - if the jaw “wedged” in the evening, in the morning, as a rule, everything went away.
Now for a week I can’t open my mouth normally—maximum 2 fingers, while my jaw moves to the right side.
Please tell me what this could be, what I should mentally prepare for and what budget I should expect.
Thank you!

05.09.2014, 08:03

If there was a referral to maxillofacial surgery, you need to go for a consultation without insurance. What budget should you calculate, what kind of diagnosis is it without seeing you. pointless.

05.09.2014, 10:21

To get a referral for maxillofacial surgery, yesterday I went to see a dental surgeon at a commercial clinic. He said it’s not a dislocation; when it’s dislocated, the jaw doesn’t CLOSED, not the jaw that doesn’t open. He wrote me a diagnosis: “Dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint. Pain syndrome. Limitation of mouth opening.”
He says it’s probably due to the fact that my teeth don’t fit together properly, and that’s why I tired my joint to the point of exhaustion, and now there’s an inflammatory process there, etc.
He says I need to put my teeth back in place.
But he doesn’t know how to treat it and sends me to the maxillofacial surgeon.

Should I believe him? on vnchs.com they write that dislocation is also when the mouth does not open.

He said that the problem is already old...

I have a question for you about the following (while they are looking for a maxillofacial fracture for me): Is one MRI enough?
Or do TRG/OPTG? What more accurately diagnoses the problem?

Thank you!

05.09.2014, 10:31

if a problem with the TMJ is suspected, then of course an MRI, and if gnathologists or orthodontists need it, then ortho, trg and casts.

07.09.2014, 18:30

If the mouth is closed and does not open, the disc has already fallen out. You don't have much time to find a doctor and try to place him in the wrong place. Without seeing a photo of the teeth and face (especially the profile), it’s generally difficult to say about the reasons.

07.09.2014, 18:32

Information is needed to answer your question.
1. Orthopantomogram (panoramic image) and lateral panoramic image (side view of the skull)
2. Photo of a smile
3. Photo with closed teeth (close all teeth) in front, right and left. In the photo on the right and left, teeth from the central incisor to the sixth should be visible.
4. Photo of the face from the front and profile. Conditions: teeth tightly clenched as always (without pushing forward), lips as relaxed as possible, head and neck also relaxed, look STRAIGHT in front of you in the mirror or infinity.

09.09.2014, 12:32

Dear Fors,

A little time - how much? month? two?
What happens if you don’t have time to put it in place? Please, I beg you, do not give me vague formulations, but tell me what exactly this threatens me with. I am very worried.

I made an appointment for an MRI on Thursday with Professor Rieden.
Tell me, will an MRI image be more or less informative than an orthopantomogram and lateral trg? If it is less, then tell me where is the best place for me to do the above diagnostic procedures?

I will take photos and attach them along with the results.
Please answer the first part of my message in clear words.
I'm very worried. I have spent my entire life being treated for unknown, poorly diagnosed and treatable diseases. I don’t want to repeat previous mistakes and want to collect as much information as possible before carrying out specific manipulations with my joints, bones, teeth, etc.

Thank you very much for your response, help and information!

Sincerely,
Nastya

09.09.2014, 13:01

In the absence of pictures, I am attaching photographs. Maybe, taking into account your professionalism, you will be able to say something about them, in any case, I really hope so:

2) Photo of a smile
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

3) With closed teeth

Front
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
-Left
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
-On right
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

4) In front
-Left
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
-On right
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

I also demonstrate how much the mouth opens
[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
(I tried my best)

If you open it in a relaxed state, it slides to the side and looks something like this:

Please comment if you can.

09.09.2014, 23:05

An MRI can be used to assess the position of the discs and their quality, but it would be good to do a 3D CT at the same time to understand the true prerequisites. I think the reason is the removed teeth and the forced “retracted” position of the lower jaw.

14.09.2014, 19:33

I did an MRI and CBCT.
Please check your private messages.

Thank you!

29.09.2014, 02:35

Judging by the photographs, we are talking about a right-sided subluxation of the articular disc. It has shifted anteriorly from the head of the lower jaw and is causing your symptoms. Your posture is also important (your head is very forward) i.e. we may be talking about a posterior shift of the lower jaw. Possible causes are chronic stress, a car accident in the last 1-2 years, etc. Although now it is more important to return the disk to its place. Here you need the help of a neuromuscular dentist and osteopath.

01.10.2014, 18:16

Why does a patient need a neuromuscular dentist, much less an osteopath? what indications? Or should I just send it to you?

07.10.2014, 14:04

garmoniyaprikus, thank you for your feedback.

There were no car accidents.
Stress - I don't think it's more than the average person. We cannot live in a vacuum.

Movements of the jaw left and right, up and down allow a person to chew food, talk, and reproduce certain sounds. Together with the temporal bones, the lower jaw forms the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - it is failures in its functions that lead to the jaw becoming wedged. It happens that TMJ dysfunction causes the inability to open and close the mouth.

Why is there a problem?

The “culprit” for the jammed jaw is the TMJ. This formation, from an anatomical point of view, is problematic - with significant mobility, its individual elements (pits, processes, articular cavity) do not correspond to each other in size. It is this structure of the joint that ensures the ability to move the lower jaw to the right and left to carry out full chewing movements.

Important! According to medical statistics, at least 70% of the world's population experience malfunctions of the TMJ.

The reasons that the jaw does not open completely can be varied:

• malocclusion;
• dental treatment performed (for example, wisdom tooth removal);
• prosthetics;
• bruxism and the accompanying rapid wear of tooth enamel;
• the jaw also jams after injuries to the face, neck, or when eating hard, rough food;
• Often the problem becomes a consequence of an anomaly in the structure of the dentition.

Specific anatomy increases the risk of arthrosis and arthritis. dislocations, dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint

There is also a myogenic theory of TMJ dysfunction - its supporters explain the inability to open the mouth wide with spasms of the facial muscles. Thus, the causes of the anomaly are hypertonicity of the masticatory and facial muscles, increased speech load (in people of public professions). Some doctors associate malfunctions in the TMJ with psychogenic factors - disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system. Emotional stress caused by frequent stress also affects the functions of this joint.

TMJ dysfunction also has a hereditary basis, if from birth the sizes of the heads and articular fossae do not match. It happens that the cause of a jammed jaw is a dislocation of the TMJ. You can get such an injury when chewing hard food or opening your mouth wide while yawning, or using a mouth opener in the dental office.

Dislocation of the TMJ can be caused by:

• injuries to the jaw and teeth;
• habit of opening bottles with teeth;
• shallow fossa, weak ligaments and other anatomical features of the joint.

Important! TMJ dislocations can be unilateral or bilateral.

In what cases is a doctor needed?

It is not difficult to “recognize” disturbances in the functioning of the temporomandibular joint. They “make themselves known” with pain in the jaw, head, ears, and neck. Discomfort may appear in the area of ​​so-called trigger points on the cheekbones, temples, and cheeks. Sometimes TMJ dysfunction is accompanied by toothache and a feeling of squeezing in the eyeballs. Difficulty opening the mouth is a classic manifestation of the problem. Sometimes the jaw jams completely; in order to move it, a person has to search for a long time for a suitable position of the head.

The inability to open your mouth wide, pain in the neck, temporal region, eyeballs, crunching in the joints when chewing or speaking are classic signs of TMJ dysfunction

An early “signal” of TMJ dysfunction is a characteristic clicking sound in the joint when opening the mouth. Additional signs:

• insomnia;
• increased irritability or apathy;
• weakness, malaise;
• xerotomia (dry mouth);
• noise, ringing in the ears;
• night snoring;
• characteristic muscle pain;
• decreased vision;
• twitching of the eye muscles.

Classic symptoms of TMJ dislocation are: difficulty speaking, chewing, dysphagia, excessive drooling, pain in the joint or joints. The lower jaw visually looks slanted, shifted to the side, and the face becomes asymmetrical. The habit of chewing hard objects or opening bottles with your teeth can sooner or later result in a dislocation of the temporomandibular joint.

First aid

The joint can jam spontaneously - for example, after a strong cry or prolonged chewing of solid food. It is important to know what you can do on your own to alleviate the condition before going to the doctor. So, a warm compress or a heating pad is applied to the sore joint, and then, on the contrary, ice or a cold towel. Such contrast procedures must be repeated once an hour.

To cope with pain, take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Analgin, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol). If indicated, local muscle relaxants are used (creams, ointments that relax muscles and relieve spasms).

Medical measures

Effective professional treatment for TMJ dysfunction requires eliminating the root cause of the problem. Thus, patients are advised to wear special orthopedic splints to normalize the functioning of the joint, drug therapy is carried out to relieve symptoms of inflammation, and in severe cases, surgical intervention is performed to regenerate individual areas of bone tissue. Physiotherapy is a mandatory component of the complex treatment of TMJ dysfunction.

With various disorders of the TMJ, the face becomes puffy, asymmetrical, the lower jaw can be pushed forward or to the side

First of all, this is a gentle speech regime, refusal of solid food that is difficult to chew, and normalization of the daily routine. It is useful to do special gymnastics for the facial muscles, it is recommended to avoid stress, and promptly treat systemic and local dental diseases of an infectious-inflammatory nature. What to do if your jaw is jammed due to dislocation: consult a doctor (oral and maxillofacial surgeon, dentist). The specialist will straighten the joint without anesthesia in case of unilateral injury and under anesthesia in case of bilateral injury.

During medical procedures, the doctor returns the head of the joint to the fossa. So, jamming of the jaw can be associated with “local” injuries, increased load during chewing, diction and other factors causing TMJ dysfunction. If such a problem arises, you must immediately seek help from a doctor (orthopedic dentist, maxillofacial surgeon) for diagnosis and selection of a treatment strategy.