The jaw joint complex of the teeth, muscles and joints – The muscle aspect – Part 3 – Treatment of TRISMUS

Treatment of this condition of Trismus,which is effectively the spasm of some of the jaw closing muscles, requires the control of the initial cause of the muscle damage.

This includes the following:

• Treat any infection including giving antibiotics, removing an infected tooth or treating it with a root canal treatment.
• Controlling swelling especially after surgery e.g.wisdom tooth extraction
• Control bleeding especially after surgery or trauma
• Check for cracked or broken jaws especially after trauma or an accident
• Check the occlusion or bite and adjust any high spots on filling or excessive bite on teeth or dentures

Treatment involves:

• Resting the muscles – the rest position of the jaw is achieved by saying the letter “m”. The jaw is slightly open. By biting together you are activating the closing muscles
• Open the jaw no further than when the pain starts – if you try to it may tear muscle fibres and make things worse. This may mean cutting your food up and eating soft foods. Avoid a full yawn!
• Use a very warm washer on the side of the face where there is pain in the muscle. This promotes blood flow to remove any blood products within the muscles. Only do this once the swelling has gone and any bleeding is under control, otherwise it will make things worse. Usually wait 2-3 days after surgery but check with the dentist first!
• Take anti-inflammatory medications, BUT under doctor and dentist advice to ensure no interactions with other medications or health problems.

It may take up to two weeks for Trismus to be completely gone but it does improve gradually each day. Always seek professional advice and treatment.

Next week: The jaw joint complex of the teeth, muscles and joints – The jaw joint aspect