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stiff jaw after cavity filling

Posted , 15 users are following.

dawn62288
dawn62288

Hello

about 2/3 weeks ago i had a filling in my lower right hand side tooth. i had injections in my gum prior to the filling. after leaving the dentist with a numb mouth i waited several hours before my mouth defrosted. In the following couple of days to come i noticed my tooth was super sensitive and my jaw didnt seem right. I couldnt open my mouth very wide and i was struggling to get food into my mouth, chewing made my jaw very uncomfortable . I cant bite into an apple or eat corn on the cob . I cant bring my teeth together when cleaning them . My tooth is fine the problem is my jaw .its like by bottom jaw has moved really weird oh and i can no longer roll my tongue under my top lip. Im not in any great pain just stiffness of jaw and restricted movement. I went back the dentist he checked me over and said there was no infection he could feel the restriction in my jaw . he mentioned something called sticky jaw? and he told me to do some facial exercises and if it didnt get any better i was to return in 2 weeks.

My jaw was fine before the dental treatment and i have never had any problems with my jaw before.

Anybody know whats happening with my jaw ?

Dawn

0 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

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  • Sinusprob
    Sinusprob dawn62288

    Posted

    have you tried doing mild jaw excercises just back and forth and up and down? the jaw will stiffen up when you have your mouth has been opened for a long period of time. you did just have it done so i would be patient and give it a chance to go back to normal. could you be clenching or grinding when you sleep? 
    • dawn62288
      dawn62288 Sinusprob

      Posted

      Hi

      Yes I have been doing exercises as advised. It's been years since I had a filling but don't ever remember anything like this

      Thanks for reply

    • nekisha28786
      nekisha28786 dawn62288

      Posted

      I went through the same through the same thing and I have a slip disc in my mouth. Surgery
  • Sinusprob
    Sinusprob dawn62288

    Posted

    hi sounds like what we call locked jaw which can easily happen during a dentist visit. if you google locked jaw i think it may be very helpful as to how to deal with it, one suggestion is to actually rest it for a while. numerous websites for this, take a look.
  • jen14414
    jen14414 dawn62288

    Posted

    Hi dawn, I've been having the exact same jaw problem after a filling, can I ask how your problem has resulted now? Did the jaw stiffness go away on it's own?
    • dawn62288
      dawn62288 jen14414

      Posted

      Hi Jen

      It's been a while now I did go back dentist and he referred me to hospital where they examined and measured my jaw my open mouth measurement was just short of what it should be . I was advised to do some exercises and told it would get better on it's own. It is loads better now but I still struggle to open my mouth wide and sometimes my jaw clicks wen eating . The hospital said my jaw had slipped whilst having treatment or because my mouth was open so long for treatment it went into spasm but would get better with on it's own in time .Didnt fill me with confidence to go back dentist as I already have a fear .

    • jen14414
      jen14414 dawn62288

      Posted

      Hi,

      Thanks so much for the reply I really appreciate it. I see, I'm glad that it got better for you. I may ask my dentist to refer me then as the antibiotics I'm not aren't doing anything. Did you find that some days it eased up and that others it seized and tightened up again? Or was it constantly stiff all the while?

    • jen14414
      jen14414 dawn62288

      Posted

      Also, how long did it take to return to normal? And what exercises did they give you a do?

      Thanks

    • dawn62288
      dawn62288 jen14414

      Posted

      Hi Jen

      I just wonder why your dentist gave you antibiotics is an infection that's causing your problem?

      The exercises were simply stretching my jaw by opening my mouth as wide as I could slowly , every hour or so. The hospital gave me a cardboard measure that I could use to measure my open mouth can't remember exactly wat the measurement was, but sure if you google it you will find answer. My jaw is stiff on occasion but it's more clicky now rather than stiff. The stiffness is caused by the injection into the gum it causes the muscle in the jaw to go into spasm. Well that's what the hospital said.i think you need to rule out infection before you do anything else. How long has it been since the filling? Think it's been about 4/5 months for me now. Mine is bearable but like I say I now have colicky jaw and just sometimes my bite is affected .

    • jen14414
      jen14414 dawn62288

      Posted

      My dentist said she didn't know what the problem was but she was going to treat it as an infection firstly. But as the antibiotics haven't worked the next option was root canal, bit I'd rather be referred as I think it's just a jaw problem rather than the tooth itself.

      Thanks so much for your feedback that's great, all the best, Jen x

  • ginah
    ginah dawn62288

    Posted

    Having the same issues after a crown 2 weeks ago. I have an appointment this afternoon with the dentist.

    How is the jaw now? Is it back to normal??

    • dawn62288
      dawn62288 ginah

      Posted

      Hi Ginah

      It's ironic that you should post this today as I'm back at the dentist this week with a infection under my tooth the root has died I'm on antibiotics and I was given the choice of root canal or abstraction . I've decided to loose the tooth. In answer to your question my jaw is still stiff and I can't open it as wide as normal this was prevelant at my dental appointment so I'm dreading the outcome of my abstraction next week .

    • ginah
      ginah dawn62288

      Posted

      I'm sorry to hear your tooth issue has returned, although it sounds worse now.

      My dentist said mine is Tristmus. I googled it and it's more common name is lock-jaw. Yikes. My dentist said it's caused from the needle giving the anesthetic poking into the 3 layers in your gums and it only happens on the bottom gums. He said it causes a tiny blood clot about the size of a bb. He said to put a really warm cloth, as warm as I can stand, on my cheek, and repeat. Do again tomorrow. Also take AdvilAlleve (anti-inflammatory) as instructed on the bottle for a few days. He also said NOT to try and force it open, this will inflame it more. He said it should go away in a few weeks. He said he sees this a couple times a year. (I should buy a lottery tix!)

      I wish you luck with your procedure. But perhaps you should seek another opinion from another dentist?

      Gina

  • nekisha28786
    nekisha28786 dawn62288

    Posted

    I had this same problem my procedure was filling a cavity. I have to go talk to a surgeon...it turns out to be a slip disk from the anesthesia needle because the pain I felt was like electric, hot, and something I wouldn't want to experience and the nurse to me it was going in my nerve and repeated the same shot again I have a slip disc in my mouth

    • gigi78450
      gigi78450 nekisha28786

      Posted

      Hi Nekisha,

      I had a filling a week ago.  Last tooth lower right side.  The dentist (new dentist) was putting in the anesthesia needle and it felt like someone put acid or very close to what you describle on my right side of my lower lip.  It scared the hell out of me and I squeeled a bit and the dentist said thats a good thing that right were we want to be.  I have had plenty of filling in the past and never once have a felt this awful pain.  My jaw is stiff and it has effected my ear and speech.  I feel I talk differently because of the jaw restriction and it sometime echos in my ear.  I also have fear of the dentist and now this.  I wonder if I also have a slip disc?  How are you doing today?  What did surgeon say?

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