Locked jaw after wearing dental splint?!


Question: Locked jaw after wearing dental splint?
I have some TMJ problems that cause my jaw to click and pop while I chew, and I've had instances of lock jaw, only in the mornings after waking up. I got a dental splint from a head and neck pain clinic and the splint was working just fine until this morning when I woke up with a locked jaw. The right side of my jaw is really sore and it hurts quite a bit to try to open my mouth any wider than two finger-widths. Is there anything I can do? I don't have any muscle relaxants, I've already taken some pain medication and I've tried moving my jaw side to side to get it to pop into place, but nothing is working.
Suggestions? It's pretty painful. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Answers:

When you have reciprocal clicking the TMJ splint must be designed so that it prevents your mandible from dropping back while you are asleep.If not, then your jaw can become locked out. Evidently the head and neck pain clinic you went to did not know enough about TMJ disorders to make a properly designed splint. If your splint was a flat plane splint, then you need to seriously consider looking for a dentist who really knows about TMJ treatment. Flat plane splints are often prescribed by dentists and others who do not know how to treat TMJ and is using a shotgun approach, hoping that the appliance will work and not knowing the consequences of what an improper appliance design can do to the jaw joint. Some offices make 2 appliances for TMJ patients - one for daytime wear and one for sleep. The one for bedtime is the one designed to keep the mandible forward to prevent the articular disk from becoming locked out.

DDS; treated TMJ since 1984



Call the dentist, moist heat and Ibuprofen. do not chew hard things and cut foods up smaller. you will need to get some therapy to get the jaw working again...and the sooner the better...so see the doc!!!!

I am a dentist




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