Jaw stiffness and soreness is common after oral surgery and may result in limited mouth opening (trismus). This is as a result of the surgery involving the jaw muscles at or near the surgical site. This condition may last for a few days to a week. On rare occasions, jaw stiffness may take longer to resolve.
Trismus usually resolves itself in less than two weeks, but it can be very painful in the meantime. Permanent trismus can occur too. Whether trismus is around for days or months, daily exercises and massaging can ease the pain.
When your jaw muscles become so tight that you can't open your mouth, you may have a condition known as trismus. Trismus refers to muscle spasms in your temporomandibular joint. Head and neck cancer treatment is the most common reason why people develop trismus.
Massaging your jaw helps reduce muscle tightness and increase blood flow. Open your mouth and, using a circular motion, gently rub the facial muscles next to your ears. This massage targets the area where the temporomandibular joints are located. Do this several times a day, including right before getting into bed.
Trismus can have substantial negative impacts on a patient's quality of life. Because trismus affects the jaw and mouth region, it can cause serious problems with eating, speaking, swallowing, and maintaining oral hygiene.
Jaw stiffness and soreness is common after oral surgery and may result in limited mouth opening (trismus). This is as a result of the surgery involving the jaw muscles at or near the surgical site. This condition may last for a few days to a week. On rare occasions, jaw stiffness may take longer to resolve.
The defining symptom of trismus is the jaw not opening fully or opening to 35 mm or less. Other symptoms include: jaw pain and cramping. difficulty biting, chewing, or brushing the teeth.
Several techniques are useful, including the use of tongue depressors of serially increasing size inserted between the incisors or the molars. Patients need to know that trismus that occurs 1 year after treatment will be permanent and that there is no good surgical or medical therapy.
Suggest taking analgesics: ASA or acetamiophen 325 mg, 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hrs; or ibuprofen 200 mg, 1-2 tablets every 4 hrs. Muscle relaxants may be used in combination with analgesics or alone. Benzodiazepines may also be used, such as diazepam (2-5 mg, 3 times/day).
Symptoms include the reduced range of motion you experienced, pain or cramping in the jaw that occurs with or without movement, and pain or difficulty when exerting pressure, as when eating. Whether or not your jaw problem is due to TMD or trismus, we urge you to see your doctor or a TMD specialist for diagnosis.
A tight jaw can result from stress, anxiety, inflammation, or injury. Overexerting the jaw — by chewing too much, for example — can also cause muscle tightness. The joint of the jaw, also called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is a ball-and-socket joint similar to that in the shoulder.
Trismus caused by inflammation resolves by itself in due course, without need of any intervention. Whereas, when there is infection, trismus persists for a prolonged duration and it may even aggravate. This can be controlled by prescribing antibiotics.
The 3 Finger Test
A quick and easy way to identify a possible case of Trismus is to place three of your fingers, stacked, between your upper and lower teeth, or dentures. If the mouth can open wide enough to accommodate them comfortably, then Trismus is unlikely to be a problem.
Trismus (or lock jaw) is a condition in which someone has severely restricted mouth opening. It is a problem commonly encountered by dental practitioners, and responds well in the hands of a trained physical therapist.
Open your mouth wide, move your jaw to the left then release. Repeat 5 times. 3. Open your mouth wide, move your jaw to the right and then release.
Seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your doctor, your dentist or a TMJ specialist can discuss possible causes and treatments for your problem.
It depends on the severity of the underlying condition.
TMJ symptoms last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. Some TMJ disorders can last months or years.
Trismus is commonly referred to as lockjaw and is usually due to sustained tetanic spasms of the muscles of mastication. Although it was initially described in the setting of tetanus, it is now used to refer to a bilateral restriction in mouth opening from any cause.
If you have a locked jaw or are in a lot of pain, you should go to the emergency room. Serious jaw injuries and dislocations may also necessitate emergency dental care in the ER. A TMJ specialist, on the other hand, can treat most TMJ conditions with physical and massage therapy.
The link between stress/anxiety and jaw pain
Stress may subconsciously contribute to us clenching more frequently than usual, which creates more pressure within the jaw (or temporomandibular joints). Over time, this can lead to poor control of the muscles responsible for opening and closing the mouth.
If you are experiencing issues such as jaw clicking and locking, you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction (usually referred to as TMJ/TMD). TMJ/TMD occurs when the temporomandibular joint becomes damaged or inflamed due to an injury, inflammatory disorders, and other such issues.
If you feel like you might have Trismus or lockjaw, it is important that you visit an ENT hospital. They might refer you to a dental surgeon and an orthopedician, based on the severity of the condition.