docDo your jaw muscles feel tight at times? Is it hard to open your mouth to take a bite out of a big sandwich comfortably? Do your jaw muscles hurt when you squeeze your teeth together? Do your jaw muscles look like those of a football player? Tight jaw muscles can be due to a number of reasons, some medical in nature and some dental. We’ll discuss why your jaw muscles feel tight and we’ll also offer some tips and remedies on how to alleviate tight jaw muscles.
Tight Jaw Muscles
There is a certain group of muscles in our face that are responsible for moving the jaw in different directions. Some of these muscles are involved in opening the jaws. Others are involved in closing the jaws back together. Having tight jaw muscles is usually due to problems with the muscles involved in closing the jaws.
In this group, there are 2 muscles that do most of the work. These muscles are located on the side of the head attaching the lower jaw to the base of the skull. You can easily feel these muscles on your own head and face. Simply place your hands on the sides of your face with your palms on your jaws and your fingers pointing up towards the top of your head. Now squeeze your back teeth together. You’ll notice your jaw muscles, called masseters (under your palms) flexing. You’ll also feel the muscles overlying your temples, called temporalis (under your fingers) contracting. When you don’t squeeze your teeth together you’ll notice that these muscles are more relaxed and loose. At least they should feel that way. The more these muscles are used, the tighter they will feel. But is that a bad thing? Doesn’t everyone want tight abs? Don’t we also want tight jaws? The answer is no.
What Causes Tight Jaw Muscles
The reasons behind tight jaw muscles can be medical in nature. For example, Tetanus can result in stiffness of the jaw muscles. However, jaw tightness that is due to a medical condition presents with other symptoms as well. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on “dental” reasons why jaw muscles feel tight.
The primary reason for tight jaw muscles is due to overuse of the muscles. Patients who chew gum for hours on end tend to have tight and tired jaw muscles because of the overuse. These patients have jaw muscles that have become very strong, much like those of a bodybuilder. Another common reason why people develop tight jaw muscles is due to clenching or grinding of their teeth. Stress is a big determinant of clenching and grinding. Different people deal with their life stresses differently. A relatively large portion of the population grit and clench their teeth at times of stress.
How to Prevent Tight Jaw Muscles
Muscles of the head and neck behave like other muscles in our body. Muscles will develop more strength and become more defined as a result of exercise and repetitive activities. The opposite holds true as well. In the absence of exercise, muscles will lose their tonicity and strength. That’s why a bodybuilder looks chiseled and a couch potato doesn’t. So the logical solution in treating and preventing tight jaw muscles is by controlling how much they are allowed to “exercise.”
- No Excessive Chewing
Avoid chewing gum (or anything else) excessively. No more than a few minutes at a time and no more than a couple of times a day. If you like to chew on a piece of gum for hours you are putting yourself at risk for developing tight and tired jaw muscles.
- Control Your Stress
Easier said than done. However, it is important to control your stress levels as it will impact what your body goes through. It is important to find healthy ways to minimize stress. Yoga and meditation can prove helpful. Other forms of regular exercise also help you shed your stress and be more relaxed.
- Use a Mouthguard at Nights
Some people have a tendency to clench or grind their teeth in their sleep. These patients need a special mouthguard, commonly called a “nightguard” for when they go to sleep. It is important not to confuse these with a sports mouthguard. In fact, using the wrong type of nightguard can lead to more problems.
- Behavior Modification
Some people clench their teeth during their waking hours doing some mundane activities. They could be in their car driving to work, or picking up their kids. They can be listening to the news or thinking about their day at work. These patients often find it useful to try to “unlearn” the habit of clenching. One simple technique is to wear a loose-fitting rubber band on their wrist. Anytime they catch themselves clenching, they give themselves a little snap with the rubber band. Associating a painful stimulus with another activity tends to make that activity less likely.
- Botox
Medical advances have also given us some more tools in treating tight jaw muscles. One such tool is Botox. Botox injected into the muscles of the jaw renders the muscles weaker. As a result, the patient is not able to generate as much force, no matter how hard they try to clench.