Trismus is a situation whereby one cannot fully open the mouth. In this respect, it can turn out to be very apprehensive and painful because it may affect daily activities. Eating, speaking, or even maintaining oral hygiene is some of the activities affected. Diagnosing the Locked Jaw means understanding the different causes. This puts one in a better position to understand what exactly is wrong and how to treat it accordingly. One will be taken through detailed blogging of the different factors that might cause the health problem from dental issues down to some systemic diseases.

 

1. Dental Causes

 

a. Wisdom Teeth Impaction

Probably, however, the most common dental cause of a locked jaw is impaction of the wisdom teeth. Whenever these third molars fail to erupt properly, they get stuck either in the jawbone or in the gums and thereby produce pain and swelling accompanied by limitation of jaw movement.

 

b. Dental Infections

Infections in the mouth, especially of teeth and gums may in turn get inflamed and swollen, thus causing trismus. One of the most common causative factors includes abscesses and severe caries.

 

c. Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

The temporomandibular joint connects the jawbone to the skull. Overflow from disorders of this joint, including arthritis, dislocation or even inflammation, places constrictions on the movement of jaws, thus resulting in a locked jaw.

 

2. Trauma and Injury

 

a. Fractures of Jaws

Trauma to the jaw—in the form of fractures—can cause trismus. They can also cause injury to the jawbone and tissues surrounding it which might result in decreased motion. The nature of injury can be related to an accident, fall, or sporting activity.

 

b. Muscle Strain

Straining of the jaw muscles due to overuse, usually in relation to excessive chewing or grinding of teeth, can cause a trismus via muscle spasm.

 

c. Surgical Intervention

In this backdrop, post-operative trismus results as a complication of some surgical interventions to jaw, face, or neck. This refers mainly to transient paralytic states brought about by injury to muscles and nerves during surgical operations.

 

3. Infective and inflammatory Conditions

 

a. Tetanus

Tetanus is an infection caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria. These are known to be a cause of trismus. A symptom of the involved toxin formed from the bacteria causes stiffness and spasm of nerves controlling jaw muscles.

 

b. Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis means infection of the bone, and with involvement of jaw bones, one may present with severe pain, swelling, and restricted movements of jaws.

 

c. Sinus Infections

Specifically, acute sinusitis, predominantly maxillary sinusitis, may be a source of pain and inflammation referred to the jaw, thereby opening up an avenue for the development of trismus.

 

4. Neurological Disorders

 

a. Stroke

Following a stroke, some residual damage to nerves innervating the muscles of mastication can result in weakness or even paralysis of these muscles, leading to trismus.

 

b. Multiple Sclerosis

MS is a chronic neurologic deficit that can be manifested with muscle spasticity and rigidity of the jaw muscles associated with trismus.

 

c. Parkinson's disease

This slowly progressive neurologic disorder is responsible for rigidity of the jaw and face musculature, leading to trismus.

 

View More: List of Alarming Signs You Need To See a Dentist


5. Cancer and Radiation Therapy

 

a. Oral and Jaw Cancers

Mechanical obstruction caused by oral cavity or jaw tumors and/or nerve involvement results in trismus.

 

b. Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck may provoke fibrosis and scarring of the muscles and tissues with resultant trismus. This condition is usually a late Sequelae of radiation treatment.

 

6. Autoimmune and Rheumatologic Conditions

 

a. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that may provoke TMJ-linked inflammation, pains, and limitation of jaw motion.

 

b. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—SLE

Another systemic autoimmune disease causing TMJ and adjacent tissue inflammation, resulting in trismus, is SLE.

 

c. Scleroderma

This is a chronic connective tissue disorder characterized by hardening and tightening of the skin and jaw tissues, restricting their mobility.

 

7. Medications and Drugs

 

a. Antipsychotic Medications

Some antipsychotic drugs have the side effect of extrapyramidal effects, which may present as stiffness of the muscles or muscle spasm, including those of the jaw, thereby leading to trismus.

 

b. Chemotherapy Drugs

The course of chemotherapy may lead to peripheral neuropathy, which may involve nerves controlling the jaw muscles and hence cause trismus.

 

8. Psychological Factors

 

a. Stress and Anxiety

High stress and anxiety levels may cause a person to grind their teeth and clench them, a habit known as bruxism that has instances of causing muscle spasm and consequent trismus.

 

b. Conversion Disorder

Conversion disorder refers to that form of psychological disorder whereby emotional distress expresses itself by failures in motor, sensory, and other functions that might also present as trismus through muscle stiffness.

 

9. Miscellaneous Causes

 

a. Dehydration

Severe dehydration may cause electrolyte imbalance, most likely to give rise to muscle cramps and spasms, including that in the jaw muscles.

 

b. Malnutrition

Deficiency in these minerals like calcium and magnesium may cause muscle spasm including trismus.

 

c. Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by diffuse pain and stiffness in muscles, including jaw muscles resulting in trismus.

 

Diagnosis and Treatment

 

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of a locked jaw will include a proper medical history, and physical examination, along with some diagnostic tests that may include an imaging study, blood tests, and electromyography. Imaging studies include—

  • X-rays, MRI, or CT scan: To get a proper idea about bones and soft tissues of the jaw.
  • Blood Tests: To be conducted in cases of infection, autoimmune diseases, or nutritional deficiencies.
  • Electromyography (EMG): It is done to evaluate electrical activity in jaw muscles. gerektigini

 

Treatment

Treatment of locked jaw would therefore vary depending on the cause and hence may include:

  • Medications: Antibiotics to control infections; Muscle relaxants for spasm relief; Anti-inflammatory to heal arthritis; Antitoxins to treat tetanus caused by infection.
  • Physical Therapy: Exercises to improve mobility of the jaw and reduce stiffness in the muscles.
  • Surgery: Surgical repair in cases with structural problems or interruption.
  • Lifestyle Modifications: Stress management, improved nutrition, and care not to overstress the jaw help in preventing trismus.

 

Conclusion

Causes from dental problems, traumas, systemic diseases, and psychic factors conspire together to result in a locked jaw, otherwise referred to as trismus. Diagnosis of the cause is the ground for adequate treatment and management. You should begin by visiting a doctor at the first appearance of symptoms that confirm the fact that you have a locked jaw, to determine the cause and start the right mode of treatment. This long-long ripple intervention, therefore, relieves symptoms, prevents complications, and helps restore normal jaw function—at an improved quality of life.

 

Please book an appointment with the Best Dentist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find a verified doctor for your disease.