Decreased mouth swelling means not able to open the jaws fully, resulting in many problems like difficulty in eating, keeping healthy oral hygiene, swallowing food, and speaking.
It could happen to anyone who has undergone surgery or radiations treatment to the head and neck or oral surgery to remove wisdom tooth and or people who had neck and head cancers that involve structures related to the mouth.
It is also most commonly seen in person consuming Gutka or other form of oral tobacco
These are specific causes that cause decreased mouth opening –
This joint is present on either side of the jaws connecting it to the skull, allowing the movement of jaws like opening and shutting of mouth when there is dysfunctioning of this joint, then that causes decreased mouth opening.
When people feel uncomfortable with their wisdom teeth (the last molars on each side of the jaw), they opt for oral surgeries, due to which decreased mouth opening can occur.
When the radiations of cancer involve the jaws, it could certainly lead to decreased mouth opening.
This is found in people consuming gutka or tobacco leading to fibrosis of submucous lining of mouth and resulting in decreased mouth opening and tightness inside the mouth.
Decreased mouth opening could be treated. Keep in mind that the earlier the treatment, the better the recovery. In later stages, surgery is advised.
Here are some symptoms that will help in identifying the problem of decreased mouth opening.