Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Jaw - broken or dislocated

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Dislocated jaw; Fractured jaw; Broken jaw; TMJ dislocation


Symptoms

Symptoms of a dislocated jaw include:

  • Bite that feels "off" or crooked
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Drooling because of inability to close the mouth
  • Inability to close the mouth
  • Jaw that may protrude forward
  • Pain in the face or jaw, located in front of the ear on the affected side, and gets worse with movement
  • Teeth that do not line up properly

Symptoms of a fractured (broken) jaw include:

  • Bleeding from the mouth
  • Difficulty opening the mouth widely
  • Facial bruising
  • Facial swelling
  • Jaw stiffness
  • Jaw tenderness or pain, worse with biting or chewing
  • Loose or damaged teeth
  • Lump or abnormal appearance of the cheek or jaw
  • Numbness of the face (particularly the lower lip)
  • Very limited movement of the jaw (with severe fracture)

Review Date: 06/04/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)