If you’ve noticed someone’s jaw clenching, grinding, or shifting side to side after using cocaine, you’re seeing something called coke jaw. It’s one of the most visible signs of cocaine use.
In this guide, the team at Wellbrook Recovery answers the questions people ask most. What does coke jaw mean? What does jaw swinging mean? How long does it last? How is it different from coke mouth? And how do you stop it before it causes lasting damage?
What Is Coke Jaw?
“Coke jaw” is a slang term for the jaw clenching, teeth grinding, or repetitive facial movements that can happen when someone uses cocaine. This movement is most pronounced in the jaw, hence the term coke ‘jaw’.
Since cocaine is a stimulant that accelerates activities of the central nervous system, it can lead to fast and often uncontrollable movements, such as:
- tremors
- muscle twitching in the extremities
- restlessness
- jaw swinging
- tight clenching of the teeth.
Two kinds of coke jaw
While coke jaw is associated with random jaw movement, it often manifests itself in two ways.
Jaw swinging
Jaw swinging is when someone’s jaw moves repeatedly from side to side, sometimes without them consciously controlling it. It can look like chewing motions, moving the lower jaw from left to right repeatedly, or pushing the jaw forward and then pulling back.
Jaw clenching
Jaw clenching is exactly what it sounds like- when someone clenches their jaw muscles tightly, putting pressure on the teeth, often leading to cracked enamel and worn out teeth.
What Causes Coke Jaw?
Cocaine use overstimulates the nervous system. It causes many processes in the body to speed up, leading users to feel extremely energetic when using cocaine. This nervous energy is often combined with anxiety and restlessness, and together they can cause hyperactive movements throughout the body.
The rapid and seemingly uncontrollable jaw movements are just one of these manifestations of the overstimulation caused by cocaine use. While these movements may not seem bad when compared to other effects of cocaine use, cocaine jaw can lead to various problems and complications in the mouth.
How Long Does Coke Jaw Last?
Coke jaw typically lasts for the duration of a cocaine high, which can be anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. That said, the post-high comedown can cause anxiety and withdrawal symptoms, which could retrigger random jaw movements. People who use cocaine regularly can expect coke jaw to persist for as long as they are using the drug, especially if they use it in binges, taking it repeatedly at higher and higher doses.
What does Coke Jaw Look Like?
Coke jaw can look like clenching or grinding of the teeth, which is known as bruxism. Signs can include:
- Clenching or grinding the teeth. Mayo Clinic describes bruxism as squeezing or rubbing the teeth together.
- Not realizing it’s happening. When bruxism happens while someone is awake, they often aren’t aware they’re doing it.
- A grinding sound. It can be loud, sometimes loud enough to wake a sleeping partner.
- Damaged teeth over time. Teeth may become flattened, chipped, fractured, or loose.
- Worn enamel. The protective outer layer of the teeth can wear down.
Over time, the constant clenching and grinding can contribute to coke mouth. That’s a term for the damage long-term cocaine use can do to the mouth and teeth, like worn enamel and gum disease.
Effects of Coke Jaw
The erratic movements associated with coke jaw can have various effects on the health of your jaw and mouth. Here are some of the most common effects:
- Jaw Pain – Pain in the jawbone and surrounding muscles.
- Headaches – Severe bruxism can lead to tension-type headaches.
- TMD – Short for Temporomandibular Disorders, a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and problems in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. Clenching and grinding put strain on these joints and muscles. Symptoms can include painful clicking or popping, jaw stiffness, limited movement or locking of the jaw, and pain that spreads to the face or neck.
- Damaged Teeth – Teeth grinding caused by coke jaw can wear down tooth enamel and damage the teeth and jaw. Teeth can become flattened, chipped, fractured, or loose.
Coke Jaw vs. Coke Mouth
Coke jaw and coke mouth are related, but they aren’t the same thing. Coke jaw is the clenching and grinding itself. Coke mouth, also called cocaine mouth, is the damage long-term cocaine use can do to the mouth and teeth. Coke jaw can contribute to coke mouth, but much of coke mouth comes from cocaine itself, not necessarily from the coke jaw.
Coke mouth can include:
- Perforation of the palate, a hole in the roof of the mouth
- Dry mouth and changes in saliva flow
- Dental erosion, or wearing away of the enamel
- Cavities and tooth loss
- Gum disease
- Damage to the gums from rubbing cocaine directly on them
- Loss of taste
How to stop Coke Jaw
The only proven way to get rid of coke jaw is to stop cocaine use. For people who are already addicted to the drug, this is much easier said than done. Although there are various coke jaw remedies promoted online, there is no research showing that any of them work.
Getting Help for Jaw and Tooth Damage caused by coke jaw
Dental care can’t get rid of coke jaw on its own, but it can protect your teeth and jaw while you work on the cause. Options include:
- A dental exam. A dentist can spot the signs of bruxism and check for damage to the teeth and jaw.
- A mouth guard or splint. These keep the teeth apart to prevent damage from clenching and grinding.
- Jaw relaxation exercises or biofeedback. These can help with clenching during the day.
- Repairing damage. If cocaine use has caused a hole in the roof of the mouth, it can be treated with reconstruction or a prosthetic device that covers the opening.
Stopping Cocaine Use
The most effective way to stop coke jaw is to stop cocaine use. Wellbrook Recovery is a premier rehab that is trained to provide a warm, welcoming environment in which to heal physically, mentally, and emotionally. We combine our one-on-one counseling with various group-based and natural therapies, helping you achieve sobriety and overcome your addiction. Reach out to Wellbrook Recovery to discover how you can stop coke jaw and cocaine addiction effectively. Our professional staff is standing by ready to help.
FAQs about Coke Jaw
Cocaine is a stimulant, which means it speeds up the body. That’s why it can cause tremors, muscle twitches, and restlessness, and teeth grinding is one of the most common ways it affects the mouth.
Cocaine isn’t the only drug linked to jaw clenching. A 2021 review in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found reports linking bruxism to methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), heroin, alcohol, and nicotine, as well as some prescription medications, including certain ADHD stimulants and antidepressants.
Crack is a form of cocaine. It’s made by processing cocaine into a solid that can be smoked. Because it’s the same drug, it affects the brain the same way and can cause the same effects, including coke jaw.
It can. Frequent or severe clenching and grinding can damage the teeth, wear down enamel, and contribute to temporomandibular disorders (TMD).
Coke jaw is the clenching and grinding of the teeth that can happen during or after cocaine use. Coke mouth is the broader damage long-term cocaine use can do to the mouth. That includes a hole in the roof of the mouth, dry mouth, worn enamel, cavities, gum disease, and loss of taste. Coke jaw can contribute to coke mouth, but much of that damage comes from cocaine itself.
“Gumming” is a slang term for rubbing cocaine directly onto the gums. People do it because the gums, like the inside of the nose, have many blood vessels that absorb the drug quickly. Cocaine is also a local anesthetic, which is why it makes the mouth numb. Rubbing it on the gums can irritate the tissue and, by cutting off blood flow, cause tissue death.
Jaw swinging is a slang term for moving the jaw repeatedly from side to side, or pushing it forward and pulling it back. Jaw swinging is a common sign of coke jaw, but it isn’t always caused by cocaine. Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco have also been linked to it.
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