Acute TMJ Open Lock

    For Patients

    An acute TMJ open lock occurs when your jaw locks in an open position and you are unable to close it. This often happens after a person has had a jaw that makes clicking or popping sounds for a while but that is not always the case. A case of an acute TMJ open lock mostly occurs without warning.

    It can be a scary situation to have your jaw lock open. Here are the important steps to follow:

    • Remain as calm as possible while this is occurring.
    • Call your dentist to check if he or she is comfortable performing the procedure to reduce the jaw opening.
    • If your dentist is not comfortable doing this, please call our office for help. If you remain calm, it is often possible to have your jaw closed within 15 minutes.

    To help reduce the likelihood of this happening in the future, proper long-term care may be needed.

    Changes to the ligaments that provide stability to the TMJ can cause your jaw to lock open. The hard and soft tissue holding the TMJ may have become more slack than normal. As a result, the TMJ slipped too far forward and got stuck in front of a boney articular eminence. This means that the condyle cannot recoil backward to its normal position as a resting spot. This set of circumstances often gets worse over time.

    Learn more about what our patients have to say

    about the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of the Greater Toronto Area

    Julia Daley

    5.0 ★★★★★

    Dr. Goodfellow helped me immensely with all of my TMJ and sleep problems. He always explained every part of my treatment in detail so we were always at the same level of understanding. His staff was extremely kind and always accommodating of my needs. One of the best clinics and most pleasant experiences I have had when getting a medical treatment!

    SD

    5.0 ★★★★★

    If you have TMJ issues and headaches, go to Dr Goodfellow! I have suffered from migraines, jaw locking and clicking, aches, etc; after my treatment with Dr Goodfellow and his team, my jaw doesn’t lock and click anymore and I can open my mouth wide again with no pain! My headaches have decreased too. very happy, thank you 🙂

    Angela Di Benedetto

    5.0 ★★★★★

    I’ve suffered so long with headaches, jaw pain, tinnitus and severe fatigue and was so great full to have meet Dr. Goodfellow and his amazing staff, they are beyond knowledgeable and I finally no longer suffer with pain.