Well, I saw the specialist today. He didn't really tell me much I didn't already know...he showed me a model of a skull and how the jaw bone works, then took an x-ray of my jaw.
Your jaw bone/joint sits in a groove in your skull, and some people have a much narrower groove than others. I happen to be one of those people, so my jaw bone can slip out of the groove more easily than it does for some others.
The diagnosis is that I just need to rest and let my joint heal, so I still have to eat soft foods and not open my mouth wide. Along with this, I have to alternate ice and heat on my joint for 2 hours every day, and he gave me a prescription to help lessen the inflammation, which is what's causing most of my discomfort. After taking them this afternoon, my jaw felt a lot better, and much more natural than it has since the dislocation, which is definitely a good thing. It's still hard to chew, and I think it'll be a few weeks before I can see a dentist for my papers, but at least it's not months. So now I just have to be patient and careful.
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