Hi everyone,

Do you think one can give oneself a concussion by slamming the jaw into the front teeth in a startle?

It happened to me today and I felt a out of it ever since and had trouble organizing my thoughts. To be honest I am a little disappointed in myself that I am asking this question, I should just accept my state of mind, carry on and look out for myself.

Even thought my teeth don’t hurt as a result, I somehow rationalized this into something big. There is no layer of skin to lessen the blow, the jaw muscle is particularly strong and the front teeth provide quite a lever (for rotational forces) and teeth are very sustainable.

I feel like these things change my outlook and perspective from one second to the next and I really have trouble with that. How do you deal? I feel like the processing of coping and accepting is more about changing as a person than developing specific techniques to “ignore” these bumps as good as possible.

Have you had a concussion in the past?
If something forcefully rammed your jaw upward, that would be different.
Just clamping your jaw hard yourself.. no.

The force to cause a concussion and brain damage is 60 Gs or more. That is like dropping a bowling ball on your face. OUCH.

You cannot generate that kind of force with jaw muscles.

Welcome andyMunich.

It is entirely possible for slamming your jaw into your front teeth to result in a concussion,

however, it would require a third part that is currently missing from the equation - a force multiplier, such as an uppercut, or similar force vector (falling chin-first onto the top of wall/tree branch, or catching a knee in a football game).

If the head isn't moving with enough backwards/forwards linear force to bounce the Jello off the insides of the skull, or to distort the differing layers of Jello density via rotation forces (Diffuse Axonal Injury from a left hook, or high speed car accident), then the current version of the laws of physics state the symptoms have not been caused by blunt-force trauma.

There's been a bunch of crap happening in the world for some years now and now some Gollum-looking pillock is willy-waving with nuclear threats

This is has caused/is causing global levels of collective trauma, meaning everyone's stress responses and cortisol levels are all over the shop - with concomitant inflammation responses affecting the body and mind.

This is likely to be impacting people who have previously had a concussion / PCS more-so than those in the general population without a history of head-trauma.

I've recently ordered some more Curcumin extract to try to address this inflammation response, however, I've also found that curcumin can also play around with how I respond to fighting off colds. Several journal articles point towards curcumin's anti-inflammatory qualities being due to inhibitory effects on Cytokines and Interleukins. The rub being that, while high levels of some variants of these inflammatory markers are bad for the brain (and are now being increasingly linked to mood disorders), inflammatory proteins are also a normal part of the body's response to fight off viruses..

Neuroinflammation: The Devil is in the Details - PMC

And most likely the jaw would get broken if hit hard enought to cause a concussion..

and broken or chipped teeth!

I am sorry, I did. not answer back then.

You were right, it was nothing. Just an anxiety response. I think I had at least one real concussion some years ago, but I have been struggling with anxiety and stress over the years.

More recently, as it’s getting more cold, my jaw muscle sometimes involuntary contracts and again my front teeth collide. Like my teeth are starting to chatter when my mouth is open. I try to avoid it, but it has caught me by surprise a couple of times.

Most of the times the contact is light, but at times the spasm feels more violent. I am afraid it might have a cumulative effect on the brain apart from the teeth, if I can’t avoid it consistently. I am afraid it might be up to subconcussive. Although it happens rarely at the moment.

I have felt “feverish in the head” for some days, but I think this is caused by bad sleep and stress. I try to take vitamin B and omega 3 supplements and reduce stress in any case.

Also I tried to calculate the accelerations, but it’s senseless without knowing how far tooth ligaments do contract under forces. I don’t even get a good estimation of the order of magnitude. And also I would know what it would change, if I had a result.

You might try physical therapy, acupuncture or such for the spasming jaw muscles..

andyMunich,

NO. It is not even close to a sub-concussive impact. They require 20 Gs or more.

You need help with your anxiety. Your jaw action can be caused by anxiety, stress, medications, or a movement disorder.

L-Theanine can help you relax better. 5-HTP is also helpful.

Amazon has a 5-HTP supplement with L-Theanine, GABA, and L-Tryptophan by Amazon.com