Temporomandibular Joint
Jaw Locking & Limited Opening
Your jaw catches when you open, or it suddenly will not open past two fingers. Maybe it clicked for months and then the click stopped. A locked jaw has a few distinct causes, and each one is treated differently. Most locks are part of a TMJ disorder, and early care makes it easier to restore normal opening.
Get Emergency Care Now If
- Your jaw is stuck open and you cannot close it
- The lock came with swelling, fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing
- The lock followed a blow to the face and your bite feels wrong
Go to an emergency room or urgent care. For a jaw that closes but will not open fully, call the office to book an evaluation.
Types of Jaw Locking
Four Ways a Jaw Locks
Intermittent Locking
Disc displacement with reduction, with intermittent locking
The jaw clicks, and now and then it catches for a moment when you open. Moving the jaw side to side releases it. The disc is slipping out of place and back, and sometimes it is slow to slip back.
Closed Lock
Disc displacement without reduction, with limited opening
The jaw will not open fully, often to about two fingers' width, and it may drift to the side that is locked. It often starts after months of clicking, when the click suddenly stops. The disc stays in front of the joint and blocks movement.
Open Lock
Subluxation or dislocation
After a wide yawn or a long dental visit, the jaw slides past its normal stop and will not close. If you can close it yourself, it is a subluxation. If you cannot, it is a dislocation and needs emergency care.
Muscle-Related Stiffness
Myalgia or myofascial pain with limited opening
Tight, painful chewing muscles limit opening, often worse in the morning or after clenching. The joint itself moves normally once the muscles relax. This type often comes with temple headaches.
Muscle stiffness and a disc problem can happen together. The treatment works best when the exam shows which one limits opening most.
Jaw catching or not opening fully? The type of lock decides the treatment. Dr. Chung's 60–90 minute consultation includes a 3-D CBCT jaw scan.
Clinical Protocol
How a Locked Jaw Is Evaluated
When the lock started, whether the jaw clicked before, what makes it better or worse, and any clenching, injury, or recent dental work.
How far the jaw opens on its own and with gentle help, and how it moves side to side. These numbers separate a joint lock from muscle stiffness.
Joint sounds, tenderness, and the chewing and neck muscles, using the DC/TMD examination protocol.
A 3-D CBCT scan of the joint bone, included in the consultation. MRI when the disc itself needs to be seen, coordinated with your physician.
Treatment
Restoring Opening, Step by Step
Most locked jaws improve with conservative care. The plan is matched to the type of lock and written down, so you know what each step is for.
- Guided jaw exercises to recover opening and smooth jaw movement
- Anti-inflammatory medication management for a painful, inflamed joint
- A custom oral appliance to unload the joint and relax the muscles
- Trigger point injections when tight muscles limit opening
- Physical therapy and home care for the jaw and neck
- Referral to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for arthrocentesis (a joint rinse) when conservative care does not restore opening
Frequently Asked Questions
Jaw Locking: Common Questions
Is a locked jaw an emergency?
Sometimes. A jaw stuck open that you cannot close needs emergency care now. A locked jaw with swelling, fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing also needs emergency care. A jaw that will not open fully but closes normally is not an emergency, but it should be evaluated within days, not months.
Will a locked jaw unlock on its own?
Brief catching often releases on its own when you move the jaw side to side. A closed lock, where the jaw stays limited, can improve slowly over weeks to months, but opening, chewing, and pain usually recover faster and more fully with early, guided care.
Why did my jaw stop clicking and now it won't open?
This is the classic pattern of a closed lock. The click came from a disc in the joint slipping out of place and back. When the disc stops slipping back, the click goes away, but the disc now blocks the jaw from sliding forward, so opening is limited.
Do I need an MRI for a locked jaw?
Not always. The exam and opening measurements usually identify the type of lock. A 3-D CBCT scan, included in the first consultation, shows the bone of the joint. An MRI shows the disc itself and is coordinated with your physician when the result would change treatment.
Do I need a referral to be seen for jaw locking?
No. You can book directly by phone at (323) 238-9134 or online. The first visit is a 60–90 minute consultation with a 3-D CBCT jaw scan included.
A jaw that catches, will not open fully, or has stopped clicking and now feels stuck is worth an evaluation soon. The consultation identifies the type of lock and sets out a plan to restore opening.
No referral needed · Help filing with medical insurance · $650
References
- Schiffman E, et al. Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) for Clinical and Research Applications. J Oral Facial Pain Headache. 2014;28(1):6–27. →
- International Classification of Orofacial Pain, 1st edition (ICOP). Cephalalgia. 2020;40(2):129–221. →
- NIH NIDCR: TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) →
- American Academy of Orofacial Pain →
Reviewed by Dr. Sang H. Chung, DMD · Last reviewed