Instructions If You Are Having Difficulty Opening Your Mouth

• Apply hot, moist towels to the affected area for approximately 20 minutes every hour.
• Add a teaspoon of salt to a 12 ounce glass of warm water and hold a sip in the mouth on the affected side then spit it out once the water cools. Repeat until the glass is empty. And, repeat every hour or two until the area feels comfortable.
• Taking aspirin or Ibuprofen (Advil) will help relieve the inflammation, and is recommended unless you are unable to take these medications because they may interact with other medications you are taking, you are allergic to them, or your physician has recommended that you avoid the use of these medications.
• If your dentist gave you a prescription medication, take it as directed.
• Open and close the mouth as well as move your jaw side to side for 5 minutes every 3-4 hours. Chewing sugarless gum is one method for accomplishing this.
• Continue therapy until you are symptom free.
• In most cases once therapy has been initiated, patients report that they start to see improvement within 48-72 hours. Complete recovery usually takes about 6 weeks, but may take up to 20 weeks.