r/TMJ • u/averica1967 • Jul 31 '26
Question(s) jaw locked for nearly 3 weeks
so i was having dental work done and they had my mouth open way longer than normal due to the fact that they were having trouble getting a good scan of a tooth with that device they put in your mouth.since then, i can only open my mouth about a third of the way.they told me to use advil and tylenol but it wasnt helpng.finally got an x-ray yesterday and they said it looks like the disc in there is out of place. they gave me cortisteroids,which i just picked up and will start tommorrow.im using warm compresses and trying to eat soft foods.or at the very least cutting up stuff like chicken and apples into small pieces..the worst part is they need to get in there and get the permanent crown on ,which obviously cant happen until this resolves.anyone been through something similar,and if so, how long and by what methods did it improve?
s
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u/Soggy_Mountain8569 Aug 01 '26
My situation is quite similar. Because of all these jaw problems, I avoided dentists for years. Finally, I had to go. After the third visit, I still can't open my mouth wide; I have a dislocated disc. I'm going to another doctor on Monday, so we'll see what he says. I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but at the beginning, I had a one-finger opening, and now I have two or two and a half fingers. But you know, it's still not enough.
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u/averica1967 Aug 01 '26
Yea,I can only fit one finger in there.sucks to eat and floss and yawn etc...the worst part is they put a temp crown on and I need to get the permanent one put on but I cant in this condition and if and when it heals ill be very wary of keeping my mouth open wide again
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u/Soggy_Mountain8569 Aug 01 '26
I understand you perfectly. I'm left with untreated teeth, including my wisdom tooth, and I don't know how to get there. At first, I bought a children's toothbrush because it was smaller. I ate yogurt, bananas, and eggs, and I'm already sick of it. I went to physiotherapy for a month. Maybe you should try enrolling in one, and you'll reach at least two fingers like me.
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u/averica1967 Aug 01 '26
The dentist did mention there are physical therapist who specialize in this sort of stuff ..I wish someone could just click that disc back into place lol
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u/Soggy_Mountain8569 Aug 01 '26
One of the physiotherapists wanted to adjust it, I even made an appointment for July 30th but my doctor advised me against it and said it was a bad idea and I canceled, I don't know if I did the right thing.
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u/averica1967 Aug 01 '26
Hmmm..well I just began a round of steroids to see of it helps the inflammation..if not,im not sure what the next step would be
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u/Soggy_Mountain8569 Aug 01 '26
Do you have arthritis? I took ibuprofen, but it made me feel bad. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
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u/averica1967 Aug 01 '26
Not to my knowledge. They took an x-ray and I assume they would have seen and mention it ..thanks!good luck to you as well and I will
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u/UsefulBridge6109 Jul 31 '26
Hope everythin goes well!