Are you familiar with “trismus”? It’s the medical term for “lock-jaw”! Trismus is a condition that leads to muscle contract or spasm in the jaw. Individuals who are affected by this lock-jaw condition mostly cannot open their mouth, making it difficult to maintain good dental hygiene, speak, and eat. Hence, you may need Plantation oral surgery if you have trismus.
Causes of Trismus
Damaged Muscles
The muscles in your jaw consist of lateral pterygoid, medial pterygoid, masseter, and temporalis, with each having individual functions to help you chew and eat. Damage to any one of these jaw muscles can limit the opening of your mouth and the pain you experience because of the damaged muscle causes muscle spasms.
Drug Therapy
If you undergo drug therapy, you may experience some lock-jaw. This is often caused by the secondary effects of some drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, phenothiazines, and succinylcholine.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
One of the most common disorders addressed by oral surgery is a temporomandibular joint disorder. It is a condition often characterized by the tenderness of the jaw coupled with excruciating pain. We use our jaw muscles to breathe through our mouths, speak, and chew our food. All of these acts rest upon a muscle joint known as the temporomandibular joint. So if it’s injured or does not perform accordingly, chances are you will experience trismus.
Trauma
Do you engage in sports or just happen to have an active lifestyle? If yes and you once got injured, you could have experienced trauma or fractured jawbones. One of the causes of trismus is fractured jawbones or bone trauma. These can result in limited jaw opening and hinder your ability to chew properly.
Infection
Infection is almost always the cause of every disorder or disease. In the case of trismus, it belongs to the top five most common causes. Numerous dental infections, if left untreated, usually lead to lock-jaw and can result in other complications like mediastinitis and cervical cellulitis.
Get your Plantation Oral Surgery Today!
Trismus can result in other severe complications if not immediately addressed. To avoid oral surgery or to avail one to prevent further complications, contact Oral Facial Reconstruction and Implant Center now!
