Any one ever have lock-jaw?

Question:

My 15 yr old daughter experienced loack jaw 3 times today.It has happend occasionally in the past but today was the worst. She was eating a peice of chewy candy the first time, drinking the second and gasping the third, they all happened within 15 minutes of each other. I was actually on my way to the ER because she was in pain and couldnt close her mouth.

Answers:
That sounds like TMJ syndrome. Lockjaw is actually a symptom of Tetanus. My husband was taking down barn wood and nicked his finger on a nail and didn't clean it right away, and wasn't up on his immunizations, which I did not know at the time. He had flu like symptoms, then throat soreness, than it was very difficult for him to open and close his mouth. I jokingly said Alright you got lockjaw, then he spilled the story. Got him to the doctor and it turned out he had just enough of his army vaccine in him to keep him from going into tetany. Scared me. Got his tetanus booster, and 2-3 weeks later was fine. Your dentist, or her dentist should be able to refer you to an oral surgeon if necessary. My sister had severe TMJ and they had to break her jaw and wire it.

I hit my jaw REALLY hard one day, and occasionally it'll pop out of place, but it doesn't hurt.

Are you sure she doesn't have something like TMJ?

Eww isn't that a big sign of tetanus? Probably not good.

Any one ever have lock-jaw?

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