Dislocated Jaw?

• cview

  Anyone ever had one or any doctors out there that can help me out?
  
  Got popped pretty hard tonight in a basketball game...dude was going up and his shoulder went into my jaw pretty good. It is 12:45 right now and this was within the last two hours or so. Right now when I bite down it feels like my teeth aren't aligned the way they usually are, almost like I have a bit of an underbite. I looked in the mirror and I don't have one now but it feels like it. Also when I bite down hard it's pretty painful right behind my ears and trying to open my mouth wide enough to take a normal sized bite of food is painful but not as bad as biting down.
  
  From those with experience/expertise, should I go to the doctor and get it looked at? I don't really feel like doing that if I can avoid it. Also, what are the risks involved with continuing to play? I typically play about 5 days a week. Could any serious long term damage be done if I were to get hit hard enough again?
  
  
  Thanks in advance.
  
  EDIT: I don't know if it is actually dislocated, as the thread title suggests. Just googling "dislocated jaw" and reading some of the symptoms though it seems like that is a possibility.
• majorspark

  

  See a doctor.
  
  
• dave

  just take some ibuprofen and see how you are in the morning. if it was dislocated you would prob be in a lot more pain. if something is still off or you are in a lot of pain tomorrow you should prob have it looked at.
• Barry Badrinath

  what you described has happened to me a bunch of times. sleep it off it should feel perfectly fine by the end of tomorrow or the next day.
• Curly J

  

  Just have the same Dude hit you the same way on the other side of your jaw next time you play against them...just sayin'.
  
  Might work, might not. I say wait it out and if it doesn't change see a Doctor.
• stephen3108

  I have had it happen plenty of times. It really does feel like your jaw is out of place but more than likely its not. You should be good in the morning.
• HitsRus

  

  well, it's now the morning...
  and if you feel like your teeth still don't align and/or your pretty swollen you may well have a fracture. If you have ANY doubt at all, you should see a doctor or a dentist. I'm a DDS so I know what I'm talking about.
• cview

  Thanks guys. I took some meds, slept on it, ate breakfast, brushed, went to class, etc...the pain has lessened a little but not much. I've also had it happen at least 3 times before but not to this extent, all of the other times I just woke up in the morning, took a big yawn that cleared out the cobwebs and was good as new. I've got a bunch of stuff to do today so if it isn't feeling better later and I don't have time to get to a doctor I'll sleep on it again and see what happens.
  
  Thanks again everyone.
• stroups

  

  It might actually be better to see your dentist instead of your doctor because they have better x-ray machines. This is coming from someone who has had a broken jaw before.
• HitsRus

  

  attempt #2....
  If your teeth do not align, you need to get it checked out.
• McFly1955

  

  HitsRus wrote: attempt #2....
  If your teeth do not align, you need to get it checked out.

  Listen to the man!!!
• Apple

  

  find a lawyer and sue the MFer who did it to you...
• cview

  HitsRus wrote: attempt #2....
  If your teeth do not align, you need to get it checked out.

  
  They are aligned, they just don't feel like they are. I looked in the mirror. Going to go tomorrow though, it still hurts like a bitch.
• ricola

  

  if you can move your jaw, eat, talk, etc., it is not dislocated. people with dislocated jaws have their mouth stuck open. feel free to get it checked out, but from what you're saying sounds like a bruise to your TM joints and some jaw muscle spasm that will take a few days to work out.