Have to snap jaw to open mouth fully/without pain?!
Question: Have to snap jaw to open mouth fully/without pain?
I can generally open it up about half way, but then the pain starts.. It's been worse of late..
To open my jaw all the way, I have to snap my jaw to the right (with my jaw barely opened), then I can open my mouth all the way (And without pain.) I can't snap my jaw to open my mouth if it's opened anymore than half a fingers distance..
Someone suggested I need a mouth guard because I'm "stressed" (Which I'm not.) and I might clench/grind my teeth while I sleep. However, seeing as it randomly happened (Within 10 minutes of swimming in the ocean), I'm not so sure..
Any help appreciated.
Answers:
You may have a jaw problem like TMJ, you must go and see you dentist who will refer you to an Oral Surgeon to xray and look at your jaw.
I am a dental Nurse in Oral Surgery
Don't worry, the same thing happened to me. The thing is, your teeth are too close together. To fix that, buys some French Honey!!! It has to be french!!! Then, for three days, every four hours of the day, put exactly one and a half spoonfuls of honey wherever the pain is. Don't swallow it right away! Keep at least some there for the hour four hours. After three days of this, you should feel much better.
It happened to me!!!!
I will add to what Kelly Em said:
TMJ means Temporomandibular Joint
This Wikipedia article about the Temporomandibular joint is very good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomand…
Another article about Temporomandibular joint disorder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomand…
The physiology of the jaw is complex and fascinating to me. Amazing that it works.
My jaw does not open easily sometimes, but I have never had pain.
The mouth guard is a good idea, it limits the distance the jaw moves when it clenches and prevents the teeth from grinding against each other and causing fractures. It just takes a little getting used to. Grocery stores and pharmacies often have do-it-yourself mouth guard kits, for less than 20 dollars.
I got one package sitting here - bought it last week.
"The Doctor's NightGuard"
bar code 0-42037-79922-9
I can't recommend it because I haven't opened the box yet! I procrastinate too much...