Mandibular dislocation can occur from:
- Trauma
- Pre-existing natural looseness of the TMJ capsule
- Certain connective tissue syndromes
- Yawning
- Seizures
- Prolonged wide opening of the mouth during dental, oral and pharyngeal procedures
When the condyles are in this unnatural anterior location, spasm in the temporalis muscles generally prevents their return to the articular fossa.
Acute dislocation is treated by manual reduction using sedation or local or general anesthesia to relieve the muscular spasm. If the TMJ capsule was normal prior to the incident, limiting jaw function for a short period should allow healing and repair to occur without further incidents. However, in cases where there is pre-existing capsular looseness, patients may have repeated episodes and require further treatment.