Student Dislocates Jaw While Yawning So Hard During Lecture

Politics does not have a reputation for being the most fascinating of subjects but one teenager yawned so hard during a class on the topic that her mouth got stuck wide open and she had to be taken to hospital.

Holly Thompson, 17, was studying for her government and politics A-level at the Northampton School for Girls when she dislocated her jaw and found herself unable to close it again.

She alerted a friend who tried to close it for her, but it only caused the student more pain.

“I was so shocked, my expression probably said it all. I nudged my friend to show her what had happened but I was so embarrassed. When we realized we couldn’t close it, she had to tell the teacher,” said Holly.

“All my classmates and teachers thought it was really funny, everyone burst out laughing. It was awful,” she added.

Holly was taken to a school nurse who tried everything from putting a hot water bottle under her chin to using ice packs.

When she showed no sign of improvement, Holly was taken to Northampton General Hospital where her jaw was eventually freed by forcing 26 wooden splints in her mouth.

The unusual method, performed by Dr. Ejiro Obakponovwe, opened the jaw enough to unlock it and Holly has since recovered.

In total, her jaw was stuck for five hours and ached for a few hours afterward too.

“It was really bad at the hospital. I had to sit in the waiting room with a scarf over my mouth so nobody could see what had happened. It was really difficult to communicate with doctors as well. I thought they were just going to give me some medicine, not put splints in there,” recalled Holly.

Holly denied, however, that the class subject matter was what had prompted the yawn.

“I suppose politics can be a bit boring sometimes, but I like it,” she said.

Holly has since learned her lesson saying, “I don’t open my mouth as wide when I yawn now.” 

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According to Health Direct, jaw dislocation is when the lower part of your jaw moves out of its normal position — it normally heals well, but it can cause problems in the future.

If you dislocated your jaw, seek medical help as soon as possible and never try to put a dislocation back in place yourself.

Jaw dislocation is usually the result of an injury, such as when someone hurts their face by falling, or they are in a vehicle accident or sometimes, it happens just because they open their mouths too wide.

A condition called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) can cause pain, abnormal jaw movements and joint noises.

If you have TMD, avoid chewing gum, don’t clench your jaw or open your mouth too wide.

You can also try wearing a mouthguard at night to prevent you from grinding your teeth, and you can use relaxation exercises to minimize stress.

Seek medical attention straight away if you think you have a dislocated jaw.

Source: DM