Thanks to jaw movements, a person chews food, talks, reproduces certain sounds. Together with the temporal bones, the lower part of the jaw forms a separate joint. If there is a malfunction of the function of this composition, then this can lead to the fact that the person's jaw is jammed. In this case, it is simply impossible for the patient to close or open his mouth. In this article, we will analyze for what reasons the jaw jams, and also what to do with such a problem.
Cause of the problem
The culprit of jamming of the jaw is exactly the joint that we talked about above. From an anatomical point of view, this formation is very problematic. With strong mobility, its individual elements, for example, processes, fossae, as well as the articular cavity, do not correspond to each other in size. Thanks to this structure of the joint, it is possible to move the lower part of the jaw to the right and left in order to carry out full chewing movements. Pay attention to the fact that statistics show that the jaw is jammed in almost 70% of the world's population. The reasons can be completely different. The most common jaw jams are:
- dental treatment;
- malocclusion;
- prosthetics;
- injuries of the neck, face, eating coarse solid food;
- bruxism, as well as the accompanying rapid abrasion of enamel on the teeth;
- abnormal structure of the dentition.
There is also another theory why the jaw jammed. Experts explain this phenomenon by spasms on the facial muscles. The cause of the anomaly may be hypertonicity of the facial and masticatory muscles, as well as excessive speech load, for example, in people of a public profession. Some physicians associate joint failure with psychogenic factors, that is, with impaired function of the central nervous system. Emotional stress, which is caused by frequent stress, negatively affects the work of this joint.
Dysfunction of the joint also has a hereditary predisposition, if from birth the size of the head and articular fossae do not match. A common cause of a jammed jaw is a dislocation. Such an injury can occur while chewing solid food or if you open your mouth wide while yawning, while using a mouth expander in the dentist's office.
To provoke such a dislocation can be trauma to the teeth and jaw, the habit of opening bottles with your teeth, a shallow hole,too weak ligaments, as well as other anatomical articular features. It also happens that the jaw is jammed on one side. The reasons for this phenomenon will be exactly the same.
Associated symptoms
An early signal of joint dysfunction is a characteristic clicking sound that is heard when opening the mouth. Other signs are as follows:
- malaise and weakness;
- insomnia;
- apathy or irritability;
- dry mouth;
- ringing and tinnitus;
- muscle pain;
- night snoring;
- muscle twitching in the eye;
- vision decrease.
Classic signs of dislocation are: difficulty in chewing, with diction, dysphagia, strong salivation, pain in the area of the joints or one joint. The lower jaw looks visually oblique, shifted to the side, while the face becomes asymmetrical in appearance. The habit of chewing on any hard objects, as well as opening bottles with your teeth, sooner or later can turn into a dislocation of the joint.
Diagnosis
First of all, the specialist must carry out diagnostics. To do this, he carefully examines the jaw and evaluates the symptoms. When the jaw is dislocated, it is difficult for the patient to swallow and speak, attempts provoke severe pain. There is profuse salivation. Pain is also localized in the temples. One of the jaws can be strongly pushed forward or beveled to one side. Tothe damaged area hurts even to touch.
What to do if the jaw is jammed?
So, we figured out for what reasons a person's jaw can jam. It is very easy to recognize violations in the work of this joint. They are accompanied by pain in the jaw itself, in the ears, head or neck. There may also be discomfort in the temples, cheekbones, and cheeks. In some cases, dysfunction is accompanied by the appearance of toothache, a feeling of squeezing in the area of the eyeballs. Difficulty closing the mouth is a classic manifestation of this problem. Sometimes the joint completely jams, and in order to move the jaw, the patient has to look for the most suitable position for a long time.
First aid
If the jaw jammed on both or one side, what should I do? Please note that the joint can jam completely spontaneously, for example, with a strong cry or prolonged chewing of solid food. In such situations, it is necessary to be able to provide first aid until a doctor arrives.
So, consider if the jaw is jammed, what to do at home. A warm compress, such as a heating pad, should be applied to the affected joint. After that, on the contrary, a cold towel or ice is applied. Such contrast treatments should be repeated once an hour.
To get rid of the pain syndrome, you should give the patient anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs, such as Analgin, Paracetamol,"Ibuprofen". If indicated, local muscle relaxants are used, such as ointments, creams, which relieve spasms and relax muscles.
Medicine measures
So, we continue to consider what to do if the jaw is jammed, the mouth does not open. In order to effectively treat joint dysfunction professionally, it is necessary to eliminate the main cause of the problem. Thus, specialists apply special orthopedic splints to patients in order to normalize the functioning of the joint. In parallel with this, drug therapy is carried out to relieve the symptoms of the inflammatory process. In severe cases, surgery is required to regenerate individual sections of bone tissue. Without fail, complex therapy for joint dysfunction includes physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy, first of all, should include gentle speech mode. Also, experts recommend that their patients refuse to eat too hard foods that are very difficult to chew. You should also normalize your daily routine. It will be useful to do special gymnastics of the facial muscles at home. Those patients whose jaw is jammed should avoid stressful situations, cure all local and systemic dental diseases of an infectious-inflammatory nature in time.
If the jaw is jammed during a dislocation, you should immediately seek help from a doctor, dentist or maxillofacial surgeon. This specialist guidesjoint in case of unilateral injury without anesthesia, as well as under general anesthesia if bilateral injury was diagnosed.
Risk area
Oddly enough, but with this kind of problem, medical clinics are treated mainly by the fair sex. The fact is that the ligamentous female apparatus is less developed than that of the representatives of the strong half of humanity. In addition, the articular fossa in women is much smaller than in men. It is for this reason that the joint is easier to pop out of it.
However, men should not relax in this case either. Past diseases, such as polyarthritis, gout, rheumatism, place all patients in the same risk zone. Irreversible changes occur in the ligaments, the jaw apparatus weakens, and the likelihood of injury increases several times. Those men who are accustomed to opening various kinds of containers with their teeth are especially at risk.
Please note that male dislocations will be much more difficult to resolve than female cases. Initially, the main factor or disease that provoked the dysfunction should be eliminated, and only then the joint should be set in place. If the disease is not stopped, then this kind of problem may arise again.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that during medical manipulations, a specialist can return the head of the joint to the fossa. Jaw jamming can be provoked by local injuries, a strong load during chewing, diction, as well asother factors that cause joint dysfunction. If this kind of problem appears, then you should immediately contact the doctors to diagnose and choose a treatment strategy.
