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How To Fix Jaw Lock Immediately

Jaw Lock

“Jaw lock”, also known as Trismus, is a common condition where the joint in your jaw doesn’t open and close properly. It is known to interfere with eating, speaking and maintaining proper oral hygiene, and can progress into other temporomandibular joint disorders. But the good news is, in the right hands, it’s usually easy to treat! Here are 5 things you must know about jaw lock.

Symptoms of Trismus include:

Increased jaw pain
Inability to open the jaw
Difficulty in chewing, talking, breathing, flossing your teeth
A spasm or tight sensation when attempting to open the mouth

What is jaw lock? Why does it happen?

Like any other joint, the jaw joint ends up locked if you don’t take care of it in the initial steps – such as clicking, popping and reduced mouth opening.

TMD develops due a plethora of other underlying issues, such as tongue dysfunction, crowded teeth and sleep bruxing, and unless these causes are addressed, they will continue to wear down the joint. When the joint wears down, the space between two bones in the joint decrease; increasing the occurrence of the jaw locks, and can even lead into a permanent jaw lock.

How can you prevent jaw lock?

Every problem has a cause, or more likely, multiple causes. The day that all the causes are identified and addressed, the joints can start healing, and the jaw lock will rapidly reduce.

The most common causes of Trismus are:

Impacted molar
Removal of wisdom teeth
Radiation therapy to the face and neck
Tetanus an acute infection from bacteria that usually enter in the body through a wound
Myositis muscle inflammation
Jaw nerve damage
Poor oral hygiene
Tumors or cancer

Diseases like lupus and scleroderma

Can you fix jaw lock on your own?

The temperomandibular joint is the most complex joint in the body. It is the only joint that is connected to both the left and right side of the body, and can perform movements in any direction. It must be handled with extreme care and by the right specialist.

Warning!!

On the internet, there is TMJ – Too Much Junk – on how to treat these problems with exercises. Just like any other joint, if there is a problem, the first step is to immobilize it and reduce the wear and tear. Doing generic exercises may help initially, but it long term, it will likely lead to further the deterioration of the joint. Similarly, using medications to prevent pain or relax muscles will not do anything to address the progression of damage to the joint.

When should you see a doctor about jaw lock?

Hopefully, you are at the doctor before the jaw lock begins. The best treatment is prevention, thus, it is recommended that you meet a specialist as soon as you experience any discomfort in your TMJ. However, if you have progressed into jaw lock, you can still expect a good treatment outcome if you act fast.

What treatments are available for jaw lock?

At The Right Bite Sleep & TMJ Pain Care centres, we evaluate every possible cause and treatment for TMJ disorders, and we have identified neuromuscular dentistry, and its allied subjects, such as posturology, cranial screening, etc, in the treatment of jaw disorders.

“Every patient is different, and we will use the right tools for each one.”

Our treatment relies on neuromuscular dental appliances which will correct the position of your jaw to help decompress the joints and realign the cranial structures. Most of our patients experience immediate relief, and once that takes effect, the joint can begin to heal and regenerate.