Since I was 13 years old (I’m 16 now), I have been suffering from TMJ. I first experienced a lock jaw about three years ago. It never locked much but just some reciprocal clicking. The other day, my jaw was hurting so much and the clicking was unbearable so I got the idea to use my football mouth guard to keep me from clenching. I wore that for a while but when I took out the mouth guard, my jaw had locked up. I went to my dentist and they did an impression of my teeth and I’ll have my splint by the weekend.

My articular disc is displaced and now my jaw has been locked open for the past two days. To get through this, I’ve been wearing a mouth guard and taking Ibuprofen.

I’m tired of this and wondering if there’s anything I can do for my locked jaw? Can I get it unstuck or will the mouth guard realign my jaw and eventually un-stick it? What can I expect? What should I do?

 

Dear Krista,

 

When dental patients have an open lock jaw, this is due to the condyle being unable to slip back over the disc into its normal position. The condyle is the head of the mandible (lower jaw) and the articular disk that separates the condyle and the skull.  Your temporomandibular joint dysfunction is being caused by the displacement of the disk. Lock jaw may last from several days to several weeks.

The most common type of treatment for this condition is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and muscle relaxants as well as a soft diet to rest the jaw joints. Heat or ice packs placed a few times a day for 10 to 15 minutes on the side of the jaw joints also helps to reduce inflammation. If these treatments don’t work, a splint is recommended to reposition the condyle into a proper position in relation to the disc. Popping, clicking, and pain may still be present but may be greatly reduced. If the splint is unsuccessful in reducing your symptoms, an arthoscopic or open surgical repair is recommended to remove adhesions and reposition the disc for proper functioning.

 

How to reduce temporomandibular joint dysfunction:

 

■Use relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation to reduce stress

■Avoid chewing gum

■Eat soft foods and avoid chewy and sticky foods

■Minimize wide yawns

■Avoid grinding or clenching your teeth in the daytime

■You may need to wear a splint at night as most grinding and clenching is done during deep sleep, however after symptoms disappear discontinue use of the splint as long time wear may cause complications with your bite

■Orthodontics may be needed to correct the alignment of the teeth which can be the main cause of the joint dysfunction

We recommend you see a dentist that specializes in TMJ as not all dentists are fully trained in this area