stiff jaw after cavity filling
Posted , 15 users are following.
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
cishma55182 dawn62288
Posted
Trpolarbear1 dawn62288
Posted
I had one tooth filled and the next day had one pulled. I can barely open my mouth to eat. I tried that warm cloth with the exercise and ended up making it worse. Not sure you should exercises As doing that caused it to get worse. I went to the dentist after almost 2 weeks.. set up that wasn't better in a few weeks to come back but to put the warm facecloth on with exercise.
dawn62288 Trpolarbear1
Posted
Feel your pain unfortunately it has to get better on its own mine took months even after going hospital . The pain did subside within a couple of weeks but my bite has been affected permanently. I am even more afraid of treatment at the dentist now I needed root canal work on two teeth . I couldn't bare the thought I lost two teeth and that was bad enough my dentist still keeps saying open your mouth wider but it's just not possible . Hope it's different for you but don't hold your breath . Push for a referral to hospital if your jaw is permanently affected I did but they didn't do much just exercise . They told me to come back if it got no better but like I said the pain dissipated just left with a short bite. Couldn't eat corn cob for months my bite was awful . Good luck hope you get sorted sorry I couldn't be much help . Just give it time x
paul66695 dawn62288
Posted
I'm currently suffering this 'Trismus' condition which doesn't seem as rare as dentists would have you believe. I was at the dentist for a filling in a back tooth which only took about 35 minutes (not a long time) after the novocaine injection wore off I had this ongoing problem of experiencing pain if I opened my jaw past a certain small limit. I have read all the literature about this condition. It seems most the origins of this condition after dental treatment have involved local anaesthetic to the lower back jaw area. While dentists are unlikely to admit it, appears the likely cause in most these cases is the "the medial pterygoid
muscle is accidentally penetrated" on administering the injection.
"Ideally, the needle should be placed in the pterygoid space, which is bound by
the internal oblique ridge of the mandible on the lateral side and
pterygomandibular raphe on the medial side. Occasionally, the medial pterygoid
muscle is accidentally penetrated or a vessel is punctured and a small bleed
follows: a haematoma can occur in the muscle bed and subsequently organize,
causing a fibrosis. Trismus due to this cause can be protracted and quite
severe." For me it has now been 5 weeks since my filling, I returned to the dentist where he xrayed the filing and gave advice similar to that above, hot packs, exercises, anti-inflammatory. Further follow up if needed appears to involve physiotherapy or referral to facial maxo surgeon... so I can't see a quick fix here. The reference to my quote above can be found at 'Stacy GC, Hajjar G. Barbed needle and inexplicable paresthesias and trismus after dental regional
anesthesia. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1994; 77: 585–586.
dawn62288 paul66695
Posted
Thanks Paul that all makes perfect sense to me . I'm so worried scared to go dentist now I think if the situation was made clear from the onset to make patients aware it wouldn't be such an ordeal.
renee24195 paul66695
Posted
Hi Paul,
You've really researched this issue...very wise. I am wondering if you have some advise for me. Two weeks ago I went to my dentist for prep work for a crown (molar on lower right side). I've had crown and filling work done before with no problems. I too have had a stiff jaw problem on the right side (following that appt) when I try to open fully. But what really concerns me is, 2 days ago my upper lip, on the right side, started to go partially numb out of nowhere. I was getting ready for the appt to get permanent crown mounted. I mentioned to my dentist about both the jaw and slight numbness to upper lip on the right side and he blew me off about that and said that this is totally unrelated to the dental work 2 weeks ago, and that as far as the stiff jaw, I likely developed a hematoma from the injection 2 weeks ago and that the jaw stiffness will subside over time and to use warm compresses. This very mild numbness has not dissipated. I have googled to try to find info on correlations between the regional anesthesia and/or jaw muscle hematoma with upper lip numbness with no success. Was wondering if you had any resources or suggestions for me.
paul66695 renee24195
Posted
Hi Renee,
I am not an expert in this area but can also say I had a mild numbing of the top lip also but not so much that it caused me much concern as the pain when opening my mouth far surpassed this condition so I didn't think much of it at the time. This article talks about a 'numb tongue' so there can be an aspect of numbness as you have noticed: http://www.jcda.ca/article/c127 . I can say that it has now been about 9 weeks since my procedure and I can happily say I am fully recovered and have full use of my jaw and no tingling in the upper lip. It took a long time and often after a meal i would be sitting with a warm wheat pack on my jaw to dissipate the pain. It is a lengthy period of recovery. It is not the dental work it is the result of the injection and it seems there are multiple possibilities of why it occurs. It may never happen to you again or it may, who knows - I've always hated dentists and avoided them since childhood and this didn't help. Hopefully you will find that when the stiff jaw goes so will the numbness but as I said for me it took over 8 weeks.
renee24195 paul66695
Posted
Thank you so much for your reply. I do appreciate that. To be clear, was your procedure done on a lower or upper tooth? I don't understand how the injection which was administered on my lower gums would affect my upper lip/mouth based on reading about the 3 sections of the trigeminal nerve, and which nerves affect which parts of the face.
I called my dentist and had a dental tech confer with the dentist about my mild numbness on my upper right lip/mouth/teeth. He reiterated that my numbness is totally unrelated to the dental work because of what I just stated above. He is recommending I see my PCP or a neurologist. But, based on statistics I've read, plus your testimony, I will give it more time. It has been 2 weeks since the crown prep work but only 5 days since the slight numbness began. It is encouraging to read that you experienced a full recovery.
paul66695 renee24195
Posted
Renee, I wouldn't waste time or money going to anyone yet. Mine was on the lower back tooth and yes the slight numbness was on the upper side of the lip same side. No idea why or how but also the pain was in my jaw and the upper side of my face after eating. I went back to the dentist after 4 weeks and he said come back next week and if still a problem I'll refer you to a maxiofacial surgeon... no thanks. I waited it out and it got better and better (but slowly)... see how you're going after 2 months and I'm betting you will be fine... but it isn't a pleasant experience.
renee24195 paul66695
Posted
Paul, thanks so much for again taking the time to reply to me. I agree about giving it time. It's been 2 weeks since the slight numbness started and I'm relieved that the numbness has slightly improved. I'm optimistic I will experience full recovery in the weeks to come... so, it's just a waiting game. It was a Godsend that I found this sight and happened upon your posting. Take Care.
paul66695 renee24195
Posted
Renee, you're most welcome. I welcome hearing how things are after 2 months. Apart from the time it takes to heal when this happens is the anxiety of dentists quick to defend their work as not being due to the dental work but more importantly not giving patients the much needed information that full recovery of symptoms of trismus may take as long as 2 months to subside. In reality, the dental profession should be addressing this issue when it is identified in patients as medical professionals. This doesn't appear to be happening. Please let me know how you go in the future. All the best.
renee24195 paul66695
Posted
Paul, I will be sure to update you down the road. I guess I was one of the "lucky ones" in that up until now, I never had a bad experience with a dentist. I am still put off by how he handled the situation when I shared my symptoms. He did nothing to offer sympathy, concern, or any knowledge as to this being a possible dental related complication, but rather just a swift dismissal that it wasn't related at all. This was a horrible disservice to me. On one hand, perhaps he should be given the benefit of the doubt, but I can't shake the feeling that I was flat out lied to. He's been in practice for 20 years. Surely, he has personally experienced or heard through the grapevine of a case like mine. I find it hard to believe he is totally ignorant in such matters, but who knows? So now the question is, do I keep giving him my business (because no one is perfect) or find another dentist? The whole thing has left a bad feeling in my mouth (pun intended...lol)
renee24195
Posted
...oh I did mean to comment that I totally agree with you that dentists should definitely discuss any possible risks and complications with their patients about recommended dental procedures, anesthesia, etc...it's a no-brainer. I have no clue why that is not happening, at least in my case now and with my previous dentist. I googled that and found an article that goes as far as saying a dentist could be sued for malpractice by not advising of this. I wonder why it doesn't seem to be common practice to sign any paperwork or disclaimer on having dental work done. I don't recall signing anything.
renee24195 paul66695
Posted
Hi Paul,
I've been meaning to update you for awhile. I am happy to report the numbness did completely subside. I think the total duration was only 2-3 weeks. Thanks for your time and concern.
~Renee
paul66695 renee24195
Posted
Renee,
So please to hear the numbness has totally subsided and you are back to where you began. I think it's more the angst of whether it will get better or not that is the worry and the lack of interest/empathy shown by the dental profession when this occurs which is really not helpful.
~Paul