From the Guidelines
Locked jaw treatment should prioritize conservative approaches, including reassurance and education, avoidance of wide mouth opening or aggravating activities, soft diet, jaw exercises, massage, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), heat and/or cold, and physiotherapy, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1.
Key Recommendations
- Conservative management should be the first line of treatment, with a focus on self-care measures and medical interventions that promote relaxation and reduce pain and inflammation.
- The use of NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (400-600mg every 6-8 hours) or acetaminophen (500-1000mg every 6 hours), can help alleviate pain and inflammation, as suggested by the guidelines 1.
- Gentle jaw stretching exercises, such as slowly opening and closing the mouth 5-10 times, several times daily, can help restore mobility and reduce stiffness.
- Physical therapy focusing on TMJ exercises may be recommended for persistent cases, as it can help improve jaw function and reduce pain.
- For severe cases unresponsive to conservative treatment, corticosteroid injections or rarely, surgical intervention might be necessary, but these options should be considered only after non-response to conservative therapy, as recommended by the guidelines 1.
Important Considerations
- It is essential to address the underlying causes of locked jaw, such as muscle tension, joint damage, or stress-related teeth grinding, to achieve long-term relief.
- The guidelines strongly recommend against irreversible oral splints, discectomy, and NSAIDs with opioids, as these treatments can have significant adverse effects and are not supported by high-quality evidence 1.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with or without biofeedback or relaxation therapy, therapist-assisted mobilization, manual trigger point therapy, supervised postural exercise, supervised jaw exercise and stretching with or without manual trigger point therapy, and usual care (such as home exercises, stretching, reassurance, and education) are strongly recommended for patients living with chronic pain associated with TMD 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Locked Jaw Treatment Options
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders may present with jaw pain and restricted mouth opening, limiting access to comprehensive dental care 2.
- Treatment strategies for TMJ disorders include both conservative and surgical options, with a multidisciplinary team approach essential for tailored treatment 2.
- Conservative therapies for temporomandibular joint disorder include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants 3.
- Minimally invasive injections, such as botulinum toxin, corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and prolotherapy with hypertonic glucose, can also be used to manage TMJ disorder symptoms 3.
Pharmacologic Treatment
- Pharmacologic treatment options, including noninvasive pharmacologic therapies and minimally invasive injections, can be used to manage mild to moderate temporomandibular joint disorder 3.
- A study comparing the effectiveness of clonazepam, cyclobenzaprine, and placebo for the treatment of jaw pain upon awakening found that cyclobenzaprine was statistically superior to either placebo or clonazepam when added to self-care and education 4.
Physiotherapy Treatment
- Physiotherapy treatment techniques, including therapeutic exercise protocols and manual therapy techniques, can be effective in controlling primary symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, such as pain, functionality, and quality of life 5.
- The combination of different therapies within physiotherapy achieves the best results in treatment, with sufficient scientific evidence supporting the use of physiotherapy as a conservative intervention method for temporomandibular disorders 5.