Avoid Chewing Gum You may enjoy chewing gum, but if you have TMJ, you should avoid it. Your jaw is the most used joint in the body. Limiting excessive use of the joint and muscles alleviates pressure and gives them a chance to rest.
The first thing you should do to alleviate TMJ pain is to avoid chewing gum, or any other foods that can cause irritation (anything chewy, sticky, hard, or oversized).
Hard / Chewy Foods
Chewing gum and crunching ice can trigger a flare up, along with eating hard or chewy foods that strain the TMJ, such as bagels, whole apples, gummy candies, and nuts.
Avoid chewing gum, as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth. Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
According to experts in order to see any real change in the shape of the masseter, the gum chewer would need to chew gum for about six to eight hours per day for about six years.
Dr. Mew highly recommends mastic gum because it offers various health benefits and maintains its durability better than most other gums. If you do try mewing gum, begin by chewing it for about two to three hours each day. If your jaw begins to feel sore after a few days of chewing, take a break.
The good news is that most TMJ symptoms will clear up in no more than three weeks typically. However, certain TMJ conditions, especially those brought about by arthritis or bruxism, can last months or years, depending on the severity of the underlying condition.
Clenching and grinding of teeth are two of the major causes of TMJ pain. However, this is not an irreversible condition, and with proper treatment, one may be able to cure TMJ pain permanently. For starters, you must stop any habits of teeth grinding or clenching, and anything that puts pressure on the joint.
Sometimes the main cause is excessive strain on the jaw joints and the muscle group that controls chewing, swallowing, and speech. This strain may be a result of bruxism. This is the habitual, involuntary clenching or grinding of the teeth. But trauma to the jaw, the head, or the neck may cause TMD.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement. “TMDs” refers to the disorders, and “TMJ” refers only to the temporomandibular joint itself. People have two TMJs; one on each side of the jaw.
The best medicines for TMJ pain are over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories, such as Tylenol and ibuprofen. In some extreme circumstances, a dentist may prescribe something stronger, but even then it's likely to be a prescription ibuprofen, not opioid painkiller.
Constant gum chewing puts excessive force on your temporomandibular joints, muscles and teeth, which leads to overstress, imbalance and misalignment. This can cause: Clicking or popping in one or both temporomandibular joints.
Chewing gum can result in jaw muscle imbalance or TMJ in your jaw, especially if you chew on one side of the mouth more than the other. Whenever you overuse a set of muscles, it results in contracted ligaments and debilitating pain. It can also lead to earaches, toothaches, and headaches.
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TMJ pain can be on one side or both sides. It all depends on where the pain is located. If the pain is located on one side of the face, the problem is likely to originate from that side. However, if the pain is spread across both sides of the face, it is less likely that the problem originates from one specific side.
While there are several reasons a patient can experience sudden or severe jaw pain, inflammation and overworked muscles tend to be the most common causes of TMJ flare-ups. Many physical changes and lifestyle habits can contribute to swelling around the joint and muscle tension.
Seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your doctor, your dentist or a TMJ specialist can discuss possible causes and treatments for your problem.
Start Relaxing Your Jaw Muscles Every Night Before You Sleep
You can do this by placing a warmed piece of cloth on the side of your face. This particular method is more effective with people who grind their teeth as a result of an acute situation, such as a broken or otherwise injured jaw.
Place 2 to 3 fingers on the muscles below your cheek bones. If you clench your teeth, you should feel the muscles tighten under those fingers. Press into the muscles and hold that pressure for 6 to 10 seconds. Keep your jaw relaxed and repeat in another tender or tight area of your cheek.
The Best Diet To Decrease TMJ Pain
Fruits - Ripe melons, soft pears, bananas, applesauce, and canned fruits in 100% fruit juice are good choices.
Supplementation — Magnesium is the holy grail of supplements for TMJD. I use one called Triple Calm Magnesium, a blend of three magnesiums (taurate, glycinate, malate). It's critical for relieving muscle spasms, tightness and stress. And it improves sleep.