Jaw Dislocation
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A broken or dislocated jaw refers to an injury to the joints joining the lower jawbone to the skull commonly called the temporomandibular joints which break, crack and or happen to be unhinged from one's skull. This unhinging of the jaw joints is referred to as a dislocation. These fracturing, breaking or dislocation of jaws may create problems when eating or breathing therefore, immediate medical attention is necessary to reduce complications and speed healing process.
Causes
Experiencing damage to the face is the major cause of a dislocated or broken jaw. The jawbone lengthens from the cheek to the back the ear. Regular types of harm that can cause fractures or dislocations in the jawbone are physical assault in one's face, sports injuries, vehicle accidents, accidental falls at home and industrial or work place accidents.
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of jaw fractures can be plentiful depending on how severe the displacement injury is and the duration the person is inflicted with the damage. Symptoms of a dislocated jaw include but are not limited to a bite that is not normal, problems when speaking or moving one's jaw, inability to close mouth entirely, drooling as a result of not being able to close one's mouth wholly, teeth feel they are out of arrangement, and an unbearable pain. The instant symptom may be a deafening crunch noise happening right up next to the ear drum. This is immediately preceded with severe pain, mostly in the side where the dislocation had occurred.
Immediate signs and symptoms vary from gentle to chronic headaches, muscle strain or pain in the neck, jaw and face whereas long-term symptoms result in lethargy, sleep deprivation, frustration, anger bursts, hearing sensitivity, tinnitus and pain while seated while at a computer or while reading books from general pressure on the muscles of the jaw in instances when one tilts his head up or down.
Symptoms associated with fractured jaw are however harsh and include bleeding from the mouth, inability and pain when opening the mouth, swelling and bruising of the face, problems eating as a result of constant pain, loss of sensitivity of the face and lack of full movement of the jaw.
Prevention
Prevention of jaw fractures primarily entails avoiding trauma to the chin and lower face. This can be ensured through wearing of seat belts and shoulder harnesses when one is riding in a car, even if the car is fitted with airbags. This will assist in protecting the facial bones and upper body from impact on the dashboard and other injuries. In addition, wear headgear and a mouth guard when involved in contact sports. Apart from giving protection to the teeth from impacts, mouth guards offer substantial defense against jaw fractures.
Parents should also not allow children to take part in amateur boxing for their child's safety.
Treatment
Broken, dislocated or even fractured jaws may develop complications during eating and inhalation and exhalation. Urgent health check should be sought to reduce complications and speed up healing process. Simple treatments involving self-care techniques, therapies aimed at removing muscle tremors and ensuring exact harmonization, is all that is needed.
Most dislocated jaws can usually be successfully restored into its normal place by a qualified general practitioner and attempts to readjust the jaw without seeking the assistance of such a professional may worsen the injury. Numbing drugs which include common anesthetics muscle relaxants and sedation may be applied to relax the strong jaw muscle. Severe cases may require surgical procedure to relocate the jaw, principally if continuous jaw dislocations have taken place.
References