Can a Lower Facelift & Platysmaplasty Cause or Exacerbate TMJ Dysfunction?

      TMJ difficulties should not be made worse after facelift.  I would agree with others that the tight feeling is normal due to suture placement along the soft tissues of the face. 

facelifts, lite lifts and tmj

because the smas tightening overlies the massater muscle

this may make the jaw feel tighter and change the motion..  it should resolve in a few weeks but you may need to consult your dentist or where your guard

From your description it sounds more like your tightness is from the tightening of the face lift itself, and not related to your jaw joint.  I would think that these sensations will slowly resolve on their own as the healing from your surgery continues.  Best wishes!

I don't think your facelift would cause any TMJ problems.The tightness may be due to sutures your surgeon place to tighten soft tissues and this can take soem time to loosen up .

Unusual pain syndromes can occur after any surgical procedure.  I have certainly seen patients who had some degree of temporary discomfort following a facelift.  

If you are experiencing symptoms associated with TMJ then I would recommend consulting with an oral surgeon for a thorough evaluation.   There is no reason why you could not be having two conditions occurring at the same time.   

True TMJ dysfunction is not going to be caused by facelift surgery. The facelift may make the tissues tight around the ears but will not cause the actual jaw joint to have functioning problems. You may be confusing masseter muscle tightness with TMJ which it is not. Normal jaw opening and chewing rules out a TMJ problem. If there was a SMAS component to your facelift, that could create some masseter muscle tightness. Over time, that feeling will eventually subside but it is not a cause for concern.

It is somewhat common to have tightness following a facelift for several months after your procedure.  Tightness should continue to improve over time.  The symptoms you are describing sound more like tightness related to the facelift, but not necessarly TMJ.  TMJ disorders results from inflammation around the TMJ joint, but not usually a tightness that you are describing. 

TMJ is related to the joint between the mandible and the skull, this joint is deep and away from a facelift, where it is more of the superficial tissues that get re-suspended. I do not see how a facelift and a platysmaplasty could have any effect on the TMJ.