Yawning can dislocate your jaw
Mothers usually hold their babies’ jaws as they yawn, to reduce on the possibility of the jaw dislocating in the process. Whereas babies are lucky to have their mothers do it for them, adults do not usually take the trouble to protect their jaws while yawning, yet doctors say adults too can be aff
By charity Kalebbo
Mothers usually hold their babies’ jaws as they yawn, to reduce on the possibility of the jaw dislocating in the process. Whereas babies are lucky to have their mothers do it for them, adults do not usually take the trouble to protect their jaws while yawning, yet doctors say adults too can be affected.
“Jaw dislocation can happen to anybody at any age, even adults,†says Dr Herbert Turyagenda, a physician at Mulago Hospital.
According to Dr Turyagenda, yawning may stretch the jaw so wide beyond its limit which may cause dislocation. The mouth in such instances fails to close and the victim is left in pain.
Turyagenda explains that the lower and upper jaw bones join at the sub-mandidular joint located just below the ears. One of them fits in a socket created by the other. When a person stretches the jaws too much, the bone glides out of the socket.
“The upper jaws hang alone and the lower jaw is left down,†says Turyagenda.
Turyagenda adds that at times weak ligaments, mainly in children, can cause jaw dislocations even if one does not yawn too hard.
“Jaw dislocation can also be caused by joint abnormalities (deformities). This means that the shapes of the jaws are not correct – for example if a person has jaws that are flat other than curved, they can easily come out of their socket,†says Dr Fred Mutyaba, an orthopaedic surgeon at Mulago Hospital.
He explains that jaw dislocation can be caused by anything that makes a mouth to open too wide.
According to the Modern Medical Guide, another cause of jaw dislocation could be if a person is struck on the chin while his mouth is open. In this instance, the ligaments of both the upper and lower jaw stretch until they snap at the same time, making the victim unable to close his mouth.
Turyagenda warns that when a jaw dislocation happens, one should not try to push it back. This, he said, may make the situation worse. Instead, the victim should quickly visit any qualified doctor and they will easily place the jaw back.
“The process of connecting a dislocated jaw is very simple. We press it down then we push it back into the socket,†explains Turyagenda.
He says jaw dislocation is not a disease and it is not a major thing to worry about.
Mothers usually hold their babies’ jaws as they yawn, to reduce on the possibility of the jaw dislocating in the process. Whereas babies are lucky to have their mothers do it for them, adults do not usually take the trouble to protect their jaws while yawning, yet doctors say adults too can be affected.
“Jaw dislocation can happen to anybody at any age, even adults,†says Dr Herbert Turyagenda, a physician at Mulago Hospital.
According to Dr Turyagenda, yawning may stretch the jaw so wide beyond its limit which may cause dislocation. The mouth in such instances fails to close and the victim is left in pain.
Turyagenda explains that the lower and upper jaw bones join at the sub-mandidular joint located just below the ears. One of them fits in a socket created by the other. When a person stretches the jaws too much, the bone glides out of the socket.
“The upper jaws hang alone and the lower jaw is left down,†says Turyagenda.
Turyagenda adds that at times weak ligaments, mainly in children, can cause jaw dislocations even if one does not yawn too hard.
“Jaw dislocation can also be caused by joint abnormalities (deformities). This means that the shapes of the jaws are not correct – for example if a person has jaws that are flat other than curved, they can easily come out of their socket,†says Dr Fred Mutyaba, an orthopaedic surgeon at Mulago Hospital.
He explains that jaw dislocation can be caused by anything that makes a mouth to open too wide.
According to the Modern Medical Guide, another cause of jaw dislocation could be if a person is struck on the chin while his mouth is open. In this instance, the ligaments of both the upper and lower jaw stretch until they snap at the same time, making the victim unable to close his mouth.
Turyagenda warns that when a jaw dislocation happens, one should not try to push it back. This, he said, may make the situation worse. Instead, the victim should quickly visit any qualified doctor and they will easily place the jaw back.
“The process of connecting a dislocated jaw is very simple. We press it down then we push it back into the socket,†explains Turyagenda.
He says jaw dislocation is not a disease and it is not a major thing to worry about.