## Overview Difficulty opening the mouth can result from pain or mechanical dysfunction of the jaw, temporomandibular joint, or muscles of mastication (including the digastricus). Affected horses struggle to grasp feed, quid, or accept the bit. Causes include dental disease, temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis, mandibular fracture, or muscle injury. ## Causes Dental pain, temporomandibular joint disease, fracture, or soft-tissue trauma. ## Diagnosis Oral examination, observation of eating, radiographs or computed tomography of the skull, and assessment of jaw mobility. ## Treatment Directed at the underlying cause: dental correction, anti-inflammatories, or fracture repair. Most cases improve once pain is controlled. ## Recovery and Prognosis Good when the primary problem is treatable. ## Prevention Regular dental care and prompt attention to jaw trauma.
difficulty grasping feed; reluctance to open the mouth for the bit; quidding; pain when the mouth is opened manually
## Overview Difficulty opening the mouth can result from pain or mechanical dysfunction of the jaw, temporomandibular joint, or muscles of mastication (including the digastricus). Affected horses struggle to grasp feed, quid, or accept the bit. Causes include dental disease, temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis, mandibular fracture, or muscle injury. ## Causes Dental pain, temporomandibular joint disease, fracture, or soft-tissue trauma. ## Diagnosis Oral examination, observation of eating, radiographs or computed tomography of the skull, and assessment of jaw mobility. ## Treatment Directed at the underlying cause: dental correction, anti-inflammatories, or fracture repair. Most cases improve once pain is controlled. ## Recovery and Prognosis Good when the primary problem is treatable. ## Prevention Regular dental care and prompt attention to jaw trauma.
difficulty grasping feed; reluctance to open the mouth for the bit; quidding; pain when the mouth is opened manually