swollen jaw - Dental Health Message Board

56carnival · 07-15-2004, 03:03 PM

I was wondering if anybody could help me or has a similar problem? My jaw is noticablly bigger on one side. I can feel it and the bone is bigger and sticks out further. I never noticed it until I got my braces. When I smile my teeth aren't lined up with my face and my smile is a little crooked. Nobody can really notice it, but I still would like to get it fixed. So does anybody have any idea what it is? And what type of doctor should I see?

Thanks for any help!

56carnival · 07-15-2004, 03:26 PM

The bone and the muscle is bigger on that one side. My braces are off now.

Kikki · 07-15-2004, 05:15 PM

Maybe you clench or grind your teeth more on one side or use the muscles more somehow. My mother has one side of her face that the muscles are more developed because she only chews with one side (wierd quirk). In her case, she could have worn a splint that would keep her from constantly working the muscles on that side, but she opted not to. You should ask your othrodontist about this and see what he says, and ask your regular dentist too, but I don't know how you would fix it simply. Keep us updated... I would love to know what you figure out!

56carnival · 07-16-2004, 02:42 PM

My orthodonist doesn't know what it is. He is the one that told me to see a specialist. That maybe could be it, but my jaw bone on that side is bigger also. The only thing I can think of is that I may have broken my jaw at sometime and didn't know it. Then it might have grown back together the wrong way. I don't know I guess I will find out when I go to the doctor.

Thanks for reply

56carnival · 09-22-2004, 07:51 AM

I went to a maxoficial (spelling) surgeon and he said it was that the muscle was over developed and the only way to fix it was cosmetic surgery. He also said that it was more prone to people of hispanic origin. He said they could go in and cut some of the muscle out. I just think there is more to it than that because sometimes it gets tight and uncomfortable. I also have a slight misalignment. What should I do? I want to see another doctor but not one like this one. I paid him 120 dollars for him to tell me what I already know. He did try to talk me into getting my wisdom teeth out.