A doctor will carry out a physical examination and take a person’s medical history to diagnose trismus.
They may ask about recent injuries or dental work and look for signs of cancer or abnormalities in the bones or tissues of the jaw.
A doctor may use one or more of the following tests to help them diagnose or rule out trismus:
• a measurement of the mouth opening
• a CT scan
• an MRI scan
Complications:
Trismus may cause a variety of complications that can affect a person’s quality of life, including:
Oral hygiene problems:
If a person cannot open their mouth fully, this makes maintaining oral hygiene more difficult.
Poor oral hygiene can lead to:
• bad breath (halitosis)
• dental caries (cavities)
• infection
Trismus may also make it challenging for those wearing dentures to insert the dentures or remove them for cleaning.
Difficulty eating:
If people cannot bite, chew, or swallow properly, there is a chanceTrusted Source of malnutrition and dehydration.
Temporarily moving to a predominantly liquid and soft foods diet may help reduce these risks.
Many of the infectious and traumatic causes of trismus may also have associated complications. For example, an odontogenic infection that causes trismus may lead to further infection with facial cellulitis or mandibular osteomyelitis.
Infection:
If an infection is the cause of trismus, there may be associated complications, such as cellulitis.
Cellulitis is skin inflammation that is often due to infection. The symptoms include:
• edema, or swelling
• reddening of the skin
• warmth emanating from the infection site
• pain
Courtesy: Mayo Clinic
