Locked Jaw While Wearing Rubber Bands - Please Help!

[McTin]

Hello,

i come to this community with a question I have yet to answer by using Google. I would call my doctor but it's Christmas Eve...

I have had my braces put on about 10 months ago. I have had an expander in the roof of my mouth for the first few months. The problem I had gone to fix was that my jaw would pop a lot and it was bothersome, hurt when I yawned, etc. I think my bite was to blame, it was a bit crooked. Anyway, 2 months ago I was given rubber bands to wear at all times, except when I eat or brush my teeth.

Last night my jaw felt more tense than usual while wearing the rubber bands and this morning when I took them off I have noticed that I can't open my mouth more than an inch. At certain moments I have maneuvered myself into opening it fully but as soon as i close it clicks and its stuck again.

At this point I don't know what to do. I'm not scared of the situation but my concern is that it may get worse before my next appointment.

Is this an emergency? Are there any exercises I can do or medication I can take to relax the articulation?

Please give me some ideas, or share your experiences.

Thank you and a Happy Holidays!

[olsonkd]

I've never had my jaw lock before but maybe try some gentle massage on the cheeks and jaw even as you gently move it open and closed. Also a heating pad/hot pack on the cheeks and some gentle,small movements. Hope this helps!

[ArchWired28]

I feel your pain. Continue wearing the rubber bands though; I think your jaw is trying to get adjusted.

[bbsadmin]

It sounds like you have some TMJ issues and that the muscles in your jaw and neck are getting tense from working against the rubber bands. I don't understand why this would suddenly happen to you if you've been wearing the rubber bands for a couple of months already.

If you can't open your mouth more than an inch with the rubber bands off, I would say that is a significant problem and you should definitely call your orthodontist, even if it is a holiday. You need professional advice for this.

It if were me, I'd probably stop wearing the rubber bands until I could get ahold of my orthodontist. Massage the area of your jaw joints in a circular motion. Try heat and also try ice to see which one might help you more. Don't force your jaw open, be gentle with it. Just wondering, are your neck and shoulders hurting or tense, too? Because sometimes TMJ can affect more than the jaw....all of those muscles work in concert.

Here's an article you might find helpful on the subject:

http://www.archwired.com/TMJ_PT_Treatment.htm

[Roboto]

I'm wondering how you made out with this. I'm having very similar issues right now after about 8 months of wearing braces, My jaw doesn't lock yet, but it's popping and feels kind of stiff.. and my ortho won't be in for a couple days as well.

[Amanda6]

Jaw locking or clicking is usually caused by displaced discs within the TMJ. I am having orthodontics to treat jaw clicking. My lower jaw was positioned too far back which caused my TMJ discs to displace due to insufficient space within the joint, so my orthodontics is to correct the position of my lower jaw so that my discs can reposition. I am wearing a lower splint 24/7 during the orthodontics which helps to reposition the jaw.
If orthodontics is making your TMJ worse, it should be looked at fairly urgently in my opinion. Also in my experience there are few dentists who really know how to get a correct jaw position for good TMJ function.

[ArchWired28]

Although my jaw never locked as of yet (and hopefully never will), I did have significant pain in my right TMJ about a month after my lower brakets were installed. I also had a weird globe sticking out right in front of my right ear which I figured was the TMJ condyle head. It was so painful that I could not sleep at night on the right side. My chin and neck were in pain as well. I called the ortho's office and they told me to wait for a few weeks as this may resolve. And it did resolve in about 2 weeks and never resumed. The globe just disappeared as did the pain.

I do understand that every case is different and maybe I was very lucky, but I think with TMJ pain and braces/elastics it may be prudent to wait a little and see if it improves with time.