How Do We Treat Lockjaw? - Dr. Vicky Ho

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Hi, I'm Dr. Vicki Ho from Smile Design Studio. I treat a lot of patients who come in to me because they have locked jaws. Now some people have jaws that are locked shut. So it means they can't open fully and others come in because their jaws lock open. Now they are all related to the jaw joint not being in the correct position and therefore things don't line up properly and it doesn't work. Okay so if you imagine a jaw joint. It sits kind of like this. This is the joint and sits in a fascia and in between the joint and the fascia there is a piece of cartilage, which is a lubricating cartilage, which basically when you open the jaw. It doesn't only just pivot like most joints just pivot. But this one not only pivots it also comes right out the joint and right back again. So basically, when you open really wide you'll feel a little bump here. And that's with the jaw coming right out and it goes over a little bump on the bone, and thats the movement. It translates. And it goes back. And when you go from side to side. The whole joint actually moves from side to side. So it's a great capability to adapt and move. Now what makes the movement smooth is the movement of the ligaments and the cartilage that comes with it. Now if the cartilage is not in the right place. The disc, its a disc that sits in there. If it's not in the right place. It can act as a doorstop. So for example, if the jaw joint was further back than ideal not in the center, but further back. What happens then the cartilage, which normally sits on top of it is now in front. So therefore, when you go to open, and when a jaw tries to translate, the cartilage now acts as a doorstop and it stops it from opening fully. So that's why the jaw cannot open and it locks shut. Okay, now what happens when it locks open. This is when the jaw opens too far. Maybe the ligaments are too loose. It comes wide open. And it goes over. There's a lump on the bone here and it gets stuck in front of it. So these are two different ways that jaws get locked. The most common lock is actually locking shut. But if you have a really big yawn sometimes the jaw joint can come in front of it. So what you can do immediately after that happens is just move your jaw from side to side to try and free It from where it's trapped. Usually when you're locked shut try to protrude the door or move it from side to side to see if it can capture the disc back into the right place that will allow the movement of the jaw to open. Now if you're locked open, then tried in message and moved the jaw again, side to side, forward and back to see if you can unlock yourself from the bump in the bone. And so it just got caught and needs to go back. So message and give us a call if you have any problems.

[mnecraftpapi]

My jaw has been sore/stuck for almost a week. I did the exercise she explained- for only 2 minutes and it helped so much 😭 thank you so much.

[Sushilover]

My right jaw was locked slightly open after I got a massage in Bangkok and I could not get my molars teeth to touch as it hurt too much. I massaged and moved my jaw and now I can close it better. Thank you!

[DeadlyScramjet]

Wow this actually worked my jaw has been hurting the whole day

[Deauxneal]

OMG I didn't think this would work very well for me because I wasn't sure this was my problem. It worked immediately. Thank you so much!

[Teeivth]

This was a life saver. My jaw was literally killing me before watching this and trying it out

[slickdaddy]

thanks you so much i was in pain for 2 days and your exercice helped me in less than one minute

[favourchinwe]

Thank you very much😭
The pain was unbearable

[Robert_Haydn]

Thanks a lot for this video, Doctor! I had open lock jaw for a good twenty minutes and tried the "pencil maneuver" which didn't work. Tried doing your suggestion and it worked for me.

[icecreammachine]

it only happens to my right jaw. My left jaw can open normally. Do i need to go the dentist?

[legendfuyao]

Thank you for this it helps me a lot my jaw feels pain when i open it big

[tenzinkhedrup]

OMG this was the video I needed!!! Totally works and I feel normal again.

[kingjeremysircornwell]

Animal/dog diseases can cause lockjaw. Warts, Syphilis, Parvo can cause swelling of tongue and neck.

[isaiahjackson]

Massaging neck, jaw and cheekbones with gua sha helped, I didn't even know I had a locked jaw but one side was jammed or something I thought it was scar tissue. It might have been

[fishchicken]

Thank God for you I moved it from side to side and it opened.

[mukiibifestossuubi]

Thanks for the video, my friend's mum is a victim and we're going to try that, a doctor also advised seeking for a physiotherapist

[RyanBebe-dj]

what about if Bell, s palsy symptoms caused, such inflamed joint!?! is there a better treatment than these?

[maddawg]

Dude I was just gaming living life, next thing I know I open my mouth and the right side is almost stuck couldn’t open my mouth all the way without a bad sound and feeling

[abeguilsangay]

Thank you so much it can help me in few minutes now im in feeling well

[chariahmorvan]

Do I need braces for this? My mouth keeps staying open when I get lockjaw

[ozgurt]

I got two of my wisdom teeth on the right side like 12 days ago and I've got locked jaw since then. I can't open my mouth more than a finger. I have tried lots of things, including this video and nothing has helped. My dentist says I have to force my mouth to open. I do, and it hurts. I'm afraid of doing something that will worsen it. Anyone that experienced and solved this issue?