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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can Pain In The Jaws Be Treated?

2 weeks ago I had a root canal done on the lower right molar (tooth 31). All went well, but after that, my jaw seemed to "pop" on the lower right side. The popping isn't much anymore, but now it is painful to open my mouth wide to eat. It helps if if massage that area and try to open my mouth. The pain isn't felt with just normal mouth movement. I've never had this issue before and a lot of my discomfort during the procedure was just having my mouth open for that period of time. And the doctor said that I have a pretty small mouth (which another dentist has said that before...not a lot of room to work around). Any suggestions on how to correct? I hope this isn't an ongoing condition that I now have to deal with.
Wed, 20 Dec 2017
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hi..
Thanks for the query..

It looks like there is injury to the jaw joint or slight dislocation of the jaw joint during the treatment procedure..

At times keeping the mouth open for long duration can cause muscle fatigue and muscle spasms leading to pain and discomfort..

As you already have a small mouth opening therefore there is more stress over the jaw joints in an attempt to work effeciently over the back teeth..

So my suggestion is to consult an Oral Physician and get evaluated..
A Panoramic x ray can be done to rule out the exact cause of the pain..

For now you can take painkillers and muscle relaxants..
Take soft diet..
Avoid excessive mouth opening as it can further worsen the pain..

Hope this helps..

Regards..
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Dentist,  Dr. Harry Maheshwari's  Response
Hi Dear,

As per your query you have pain in the jaws which seems to be due to TMJ dysfunction and locking of jaw in a particular position. It could be due to insertion of injection in muscle while dental procedure which is leading to injury and difficulty in opening mouth. I would suggest you to rest properly and don't bend frequently forward. You should relax jaw from locked position and bring it back to normal. For now take ibuprofen for pain and swelling. You should take light food and avoid hard food from that side. You should consult oral and maxillofacial surgeon for proper examination and start treatment accordingly. Avoid excessive use of mobile from that side.

Hope your concern has been resolved

Best wishes,
Dr. Harry Maheshwari
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How Can Pain In The Jaws Be Treated?

Hi.. Thanks for the query.. It looks like there is injury to the jaw joint or slight dislocation of the jaw joint during the treatment procedure.. At times keeping the mouth open for long duration can cause muscle fatigue and muscle spasms leading to pain and discomfort.. As you already have a small mouth opening therefore there is more stress over the jaw joints in an attempt to work effeciently over the back teeth.. So my suggestion is to consult an Oral Physician and get evaluated.. A Panoramic x ray can be done to rule out the exact cause of the pain.. For now you can take painkillers and muscle relaxants.. Take soft diet.. Avoid excessive mouth opening as it can further worsen the pain.. Hope this helps.. Regards..