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

37 Replies

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  • Posted

    Update: 7.13.17

    I almost have full range again (original dental procedure, replace cracked filling, was 6.5.17)

    I went to a tmj specialist last week and was told a few things:

    1. I need a splint (looks like a retainer or invisiline) for one set of teeth.

    2. This may never happen again, or it may...

    3. Can be triggered by another procedure, stress, whiplash....

    4. If extreme (mine is not) there is an option for surgery where the cut bone out of your skull.... NO THANKS!

    I plan on getting the splint. I do clinch my teeth, which stresses the joints/muscles where the jaw connects to the skull, so maybe this will help. I hope you all find relief and return to normal soon!

  • Posted

    Hello Everyone,

    Just wanted to say thanks for all this great information. I had a fractured tooth worked on 6 days ago. I was in the chair at the dentist for an hour and a half. The dentist stuck me about 6 times with the needle. It was painful to keep my mouth open and the needle pain was like an electric shock.     I have limited motion in my mouth too. The only difference from the previous responses is I yawned yesterday and the left side of my mouth split open slightly and started bleeding. The pain is constant and can’t bite into anything. The doctors office said it’s normal due to the amount of times they had to stick me with the needle and will get better. But I’m going to follow through with the hot compress.

    Thanks 

    Kristin 

  • Posted

    Thank you for posting this Dawn. I'm so glad that you started this discussion and I found it. I went to the dentist 2 weeks ago to have an old filling replaced.  Like you and many of the people that commented here, it was a tooth way in the back of my mouth on the lower right side.  They told me I'd have pain for a week because it was such a big filling, but after a week and 1/2 I couldn't open my mouth any wider than an inch to two inches at the most!  Associated with this was/is pretty bad pain in my jaw, ear and neck.  I went back to the dentist yesterday.  She told me that I should put moist heat on my jaw and try stretching it also.  I was also told to buy a mouth guard to stop from clenching when I'm sleeping.  I've been doing what I was told but it hasn't been helping much.  Worst part of it is, she thinks I may need two root canals and crowns for the two teeth that are down on the lower right side of my jaw. One of these root canals will be to fix a botched root canal done by a dentist with the same company.  How's that going to happen if I can't even open my mouth??? Really losing my trust for dentists.

  • Posted

    Hi all,

    Had some molar work at dentist 12 days ago and ever since then sore jaw, pain opening mouth, pain when projecting bottom teeth forward (to brush teeth etc).

    Eating is hard work because my mouth doesn't open as far as normal.

    I suspected TMD (after googling) so went back to dentist yesterday and they more or less confirmed. They did say it can be caused by the big needle shot but also other things.

    I got a fitting for a mouth piece as he wants to see if I grind at night it's aggrevating the problem.

    He says I should see a difference in a couple days but let it go for two weeks and if still a problem then go back.

    My dentist is a new guy, pretty young and on the two times I've seen him he has gone to another room to see his boss, including yesterday when he cam back and said I probably had TMD.

    So, 12 days in and the pain and restriction in movement has not subsided one bit.

    I have had this injection a few times before without problem and am scared he "got it wrong" and injected the muscle too much and that it's permanent!!!

    I do take some warmth that a few on this thread seem to have recovered though......the next couple month we'll see what happens.

    Ian

    [Scotland]

    • Posted

      Hey Ian,

      Hang in there buddy, yep a couple of months and you'll be fine.... plenty of haggis washed down by lots of pints of beer and get plenty of sympathy from the missus and you'll be fine....

      cheers

      Paul

  • Posted

    I be really read a bunch of stuff on specifically injections on the bottom jaw, but my injections were on both sides of the top jaw and only one side of my jaw is feeling pain and stiffness. Is this the same thing that other people experience from injections on the bottom or is something else wrong? I'm very concerned because this has happened to me before but it was never so severe and went away practically right after the  Novacaine  wore complete off and I could move my lips again, this time it has been almost a full day and it hurts fairly bad. Help

    • Posted

      I have been reading* those first words really got fouled up 

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