I experiencing an intense amount of trismus after getting my wisdom teeth out. more so on my left side than right. the pain wakes me up in the night and aches all day long. i had my surgery a week ago. is this normal? what can i do to speed up the recove

Related: The strain on your jaw and TMJ from the oral surgery has caused an inflammatory response limiting movement of jaw and myofacial pain from the muscle and supporting structures like ligaments and tendons. This is a common complication from any dental work but more extreme due to length of appointment time and amount of trama. Talk with your oral surgeon. Use some warm moist heat on your jaw.

My advice: It is always best to consult the dentist who actually treated you regarding questions like these. Were the teeth removed by an Oral Surgeon? If your current dentist cannot discuss this with you and supply you with answers to your satisfaction, get a consult with another Oral Surgeon. Meanwhile, take NSAIDS according to directions unless there is some medical reason you can't or shouldn't.

Trismus: Yes, trismus is an unfortunate post operative complication. Your oral surgeon needs to be advised of the situation so that the complication can be managed. Feel better soon...

Very common: Trismus due to masseter muscle spasm is very common after dental surgery. Regardless the cause, treating trismus: first with ice packs, then moist heat, then physical stretching. You can correct the trismus sooner and return more quickly to normal life.