My sister cannot open her mouth properly and had no problem with it this morning. She gets a pin prick feeling at the bottom of her jaw and sometimes when she opens it a bit wider she gets small headaches.
Thanks, Kyle
Dear Kyle,
It sounds like your sister is having temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This type of disorder can come and go or be constant. Stress, grinding and clenching of the teeth, gum chewing, or misaligned teeth are some of the factors that lead to this disorder. Headaches, earaches, and pain upon opening are common symptoms of this dysfunction of the joint. Our advice would be to put heat and ice packs on the joints to help alleviate the pain, take ibuprofen as needed, rest the jaw by keeping teeth slightly apart, and reduce stress. We recommend she consult with a dentist who offers TMJ treatment. If she is grinding or clenching a mouth appliance may be recommended to prevent her from having symptoms, reduce the pain, and prevent her from causing damage to her teeth.
Post courtesy of Dr. Perry, Baton Rouge Dentist.