The symptoms of a lockjaw include a disorder of the jaw closure. The closing of the jaw can only be impaired or not function at all. The jaw of the affected person is then permanently open and regardless of the force and effort with which the affected person tries, he or she does not manage to close the jaw. But where does this symptom come from and what is the cause?
Causes for a lockjaw
The causes of a lockjaw are variable and not easy to diagnose. In the majority of cases, the temporomandibular joint is the origin of the problem of closing the jaw. In older patients, it is primarily temporomandibular joint arthrosis that can lead to a lockjaw.
This disease is a wear and tear disease of the joint, which can occur in old age due to the massive time of wear and tear. Furthermore, a luxation can also be the reason for the blockage. In the case of dislocation, the head of the jaw joint is no longer in the joint pit, but has jumped out of the joint path.
Even if the mouth is opened excessively, for example when yawning, this jaw blockage can occur due to a dislocation. These symptoms are further exacerbated by stress and mental illness. As a further reason, jaw fractures can be an obstacle to jaw closure, as the broken fragments can open the jaw, so that the normal closure of the mouth can only be restored when the fragments are surgically repositioned.
As a rule, the symptoms disappear immediately when the cause of the jaw lock is treated. In very rare cases, swelling of the oral mucosa and connective tissue after a conduction anesthesia in the area of the temporomandibular joint can lead to disturbances in the opening and closing of the jaw. The same applies to swellings in the context of abscesses in the jaw area.
Jaw lock, the inability to close the jaw, is rather rare after wisdom tooth surgery. The opposite is more difficult, the jaw lock. In the case of a lockjaw, the mouth opening is disturbed.
This problem occurs often and especially when all wisdom teeth are removed in one session, because the jaw often has to be expanded to a maximum to reach the wisdom teeth. This stretching often causes the masticatory muscles to tense up and thus can no longer perform their normal functions. When anaesthetizing with the syringe, the puncture in the muscle can be so traumatic that a bruise is formed.
This haematoma prevents the muscle from properly stretching and contracting, making it difficult to open the mouth. The external force that the dentist or oral surgeon must use to pull out the teeth can also temporarily injure one of the jaw muscles. The jaw clamp may continue for several weeks after the procedure.
Therapeutically, plastic rods stacked on top of each other are used to try to gradually re-expand the mouth to release this tension or cramping. The patient has to actively participate at home in order to train the targeted stretching step by step. The lockjaw can continue for several weeks after the procedure.
Therapeutically, the patient tries to expand the mouth bit by bit with plastic rods stacked on top of each other in order to release this tension or cramping. The patient has to actively participate at home in order to train the targeted stretching step by step. Psychological aspects are very closely related to diseases of the temporomandibular joint and stress can trigger a lockjaw if the temporomandibular joint malfunctions.
Due to a stressful everyday life or psychological stress, problems are transferred to the jaw in the form of pressing and grinding. Only an excessive opening of the mouth while yawning would be sufficient to provoke the already strained head of the jaw joint to jump out of the joint pit. This dislocation is accompanied by a lock of the jaw.
Mental illnesses such as depression or burn-out syndrome are also associated with temporomandibular joint problems, which can result in jaw dislocation. Recommendation is thereby beside the dental therapy also a psychological therapy, in order to reduce the mental load lastingly. Otherwise, a mental illness can lead to repeated jaw problems.
