Can a doctor help with lockjaw?!


Question:

Can a doctor help with lockjaw?

Im having a pretty bad pain in my jaw, next to my ear, where the jaw connects to the skull... I cant open my mouth very far and if I over do it, it hurts... Should I go to the doctor or is this something that will eventually go away?
If I do go to the doctor, is there anything he will be able to do for me, or just tell me to take asprin??
Also, would it be a doctor or a dentist I should see?


Answers:

Well, first of all, this is not lockjaw you're describing. Lockjaw is another name for tetanus.

It sounds like you should go see a doctor, preferably an orthodontist or a dentist. Pain in the joint of the jaw accompanied by the inability to open the jaw very far without pain is a frequent sign of a condition called TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder). This condition is not necessarily serious, but it can become serious if it's not treated.

Alternatively, you may just have a bad case of arthritis. But either way, a trip to the doctor would be in your best interest. Neither arthritis nor TMJ will just go away.




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