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Has anyone’s jaw ‘locked’ open?

2 replies

Yourinmyspot · 02/12/2025 17:32

About a month ago while brushing my teeth the left side of my jaw locked open and I couldn’t close my mouth. I sort of wiggled it side to side and it soon went back to normal.

I was at the dentist today and she was halfway through cleaning them and It did it again, was quite sore she massaged it and put her warm hands on it but after five mins or so it wasn’t having it.

She got another dentist to come in and she sat me with my head resting against the wall and managed to get it to release at the second attempt (must have been the mention of A&E that did it!) I came home and it’s been okay since, they told me not to eat anything chewy or open my mouth much, and showed me what to do if it happens again.

The dentist rang me later to make sure I was okay and is going to see me in three weeks so at least it happened in the ‘right’ place.

It’s a bit achy now but not painful.

OP posts:
PersephoneParlormaid · 02/12/2025 21:25

Sounds like you’ve got TMJ.

tobee · 02/12/2025 22:20

Yes I had it many times after I had my wisdom teeth removed under GA when I was 16. They have to clamp your mouth open very wide apparently.

Used to happen when I laughed, sneezed, yawned or was sick - anything when I hyper extended my jaw. Not every time.

I found it very distressing. My lovely older sister talked calmly to me and massaged my jaw by my ear gently until it released.

Only found out later that I needed professional health care attention and I'd dislocated my jaw.

It stopped happening some years later. But I still sometimes get very painful nerve pain on one side occasionally. And I grind my teeth when stressed.

The best thing that's helped is consciously trying to relax.

This was both sides btw but only left gets the nerve pain now

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