What is Trismus?

Trismus, commonly referred to as limited mouth opening or lockjaw, is usually due to sustained spasms and tightening of the muscles. This can be easily treated at home or with the help and guidance of your local dentist.

Symptoms of Trismus

1.    Difficulty Opening Mouth

This is the most noticeable symptom of trismus, which can be severe, uncomfortable and painful when trying to fully open your jaw.

2.    Pain and Discomfort

The pain and discomfort are usually located around the jaw joint (temporormadibular joint, or TMJ) and the muscles of the jaw and face. The pain may worsen if you continually attempt to open the mouth.

3.    Muscle Stiffness

The muscles can be extremely stiff and tense; this can be accompanied by a feeling of tightness when opening your mouth.

4.    Clicking or Popping Sounds

This may not happen to everyone, but a clicking or popping feeling or sound can happen when you attempt to move your jaw, which is usually associated with TMJ issues.

5.    Difficulty Eating or Speaking

While having limited mobility, it can be difficult for some to eat, drink or even speak normally.

6.    Swelling and Tenderness

Trimus can be accompanied by swelling in some cases, which can be caused by infection or trauma. The area is usually tender to the touch.

Causes

Trismus can have various causes, and treatment approaches will vary accordingly. These are the most common causes:

Dental Procedures

There are always risks associated with certain dental procedures, such as the extraction of your impacted wisdom teeth. This can sometimes be unavoidable, but for peace of mind, get in contact with your dentist.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Issues

This is when regular problems occur at the joint that connects the jaw bone to the skull. There are professionals who specialise in this disorder. If its becoming a more regular issue than normal, contact your dentist. Whether you’re at a dentist in Solhull or a dentist in Leamington Spa, they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Trauma

This can happen at any point in your life to anyone; you can do it if you crack your jaw open, are hit or are injured around the area.

This can cause the muscles to tense up and be uncomfortable for a while if treatment isn’t taken seriously.

Treatment

After a diagnosis from your healthcare provider, there are a number of treatments they may suggest moving forward. This will be after taking into consideration all potential causes and results from tests such as computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

At Home

There are many muscle relaxants available and creams that can be used during the day or before bed.

This will help you get the most out of physical therapy. There are video tutorials that teach you the 3-finger method to overall massage and loosen the muscles in your jaw. This is a continuous process and is not fixed overnight.

Visit Your Dentist

If techniques at home aren’t working, book an emergency appointment with your dentist. Here,  they will be able to guide you through some alternative methods and treatments to help you feel some sort of normality.

Alternatively

Although symptoms can be similar to tetanus, it is not to be confused with it, as tetanus is a life-threatening bacterial disease that prevents you from opening your mouth at all and leads to an array of other symptoms, such as:

• Difficulty Swallowing
• Muscle Spasms
• Fever and Sweating
• Breathing Problems
• Muscle Stiffness

If you have these symptoms, it is critical to contact medical emergency services right away to prevent further complications and potentially death.