There is a joint that connects your jaw to the skull. It is known as the temporomandibular joint, often abbreviated as TMJ. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a condition that affects the joint and results in pain.
The disorder is also commonly referred to as TMJ. TMJ can affect your quality of life and even make it hard to just engage in simple conversation. It is important to watch what you eat when you suffer from TMJ.
Why You Need To Be Cautious When You Have TMJ
Some of the common symptoms of TMJ include pain during chewing, pain on a single jaw or both of them, earaches, neck pains, stiff muscles jaws, and pain in the face. While it is advisable to visit our clinic to have your TMJ attended to, you should avoid certain activities to speed up the recovery process. One of the things you will be required to do is watch what you eat.
You Should Avoid Chewing Gum
Most people enjoy chewing gum. It is even healthy for the teeth as it boosts saliva production for the cleaning of the teeth. However, chewing gum when you have TMJ overworks your jaws and denies the jaws and oral muscles an opportunity to rest. Resting your jaws helps in alleviating the pain caused by TMJ.
You Should Avoid Eating Hard Foods
Foods such as apples that are hard on the jaws are not good for you if you have TMJ. Hard foods put excessive pressure on your jaws and could only worsen the condition. This can interfere with the healing process.
Most people with TMJ think that the pain will go away on its own. If you suspect you have the condition, you should visit our clinic as soon as you can. We will do a diagnosis and offer treatment. We will also recommend strategies and exercises to help with the healing process. Do not let TMJ limit your quality of life, get in touch with us today to have it attended to.