Soft Food Diet for TMJ/TMD

If you suffer from a TMJ disorder, you may notice a clicking or a popping in your jaw when you try to eat your favorite foods. This is because symptoms of TMJ disorder can include jaw discomfort and tenderness or pain when opening or closing the mouth. At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, we don’t want you to live on a soft diet, but incorporating soft foods into your diet may alleviate your discomfort.

Soft foods give your jaw and temporomandibular joints the opportunity to rest and heal. Some excellent (and healthy) foods to eat include cooked vegetables and fruits, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, smoothies, soup, and yogurt. If you must eat food that requires a heavy amount of chewing, we recommended chopping it up into small pieces. If you have a sweet tooth, soft cakes, cobblers and cheesecake are good things to choose from.

If you suffer from any facial pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call 215-279-1193.

Foods to Avoid with TMJ Pain

When dealing with TMJ pain, you will have to become aware of what causes your pain. For many, simply chewing their food can cause irritation. At Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, we want to give our patients a heads up on the foods that can irritate the jaw.

Very chewy foods are a type of food that should be avoided when you have TMJ dysfunction. Sticky candies like caramel and gum, tougher meats and chewy shellfish should be avoided. Choose tender cuts of meat and cook it accordingly. If you still have a taste for seafood, choose a more tender option like fish.

Crunchy and hard foods can also be very aggravating to the TMJs. Crunchy chips and popcorn take a lot of force to chew through. Raw carrots are another likely culprit. Carrots and other hard veggies may be irritating raw, but they are still important for your nutrition, so just cook them until they are softer and easier to chew.

In addition to irritating foods, overextending your mouth can also cause TMJ irritation. Cut your food into smaller pieces.

TMJ dysfunction can be painful. Here at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center, we are able to treat our patients with TMD in our Philadelphia, PA office. To schedule with us, call (215) 279-1193 or visit our website, www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com. 

TMD

TMD can be a very painful and frustrating condition to deal with. The symptoms that go along with TMD may seem unrelenting, but there are treatments. The experienced dentists of Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA offer relief to patients suffering from the effects of TMD.

TMD, or temporomandibular disorder, is a condition where the temporomandibular joint, the TMJ, is dysfunctional. The TMJ is the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull. The joint can become enflamed, swollen, and tender. It can cause aching around the ear and face, difficulty chewing, and a clicking sound. The joint may also lock the mouth open or closed.

The cause of TMD is often not clear. However, if the TMJ disc is eroded or moved out of place, it can cause TMD. Also if the joint’s cartilage is damaged by arthritis or if the joint as a whole is damaged by injury, these can also cause TMD. Often, grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw can also lead to TMD.

The dentists here at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center can observe the TMJ and determine if TMD is the problem. A night guard is available to prevent the teeth grinding at night, or at least lessen the effects. Surgery for TMD is sometimes needed, but often just changing the way the jaw muscles are used through behavioral treatment is enough to provide relief.

If you are experiencing a sore or painful jaw, come in for an evaluation. To schedule an appointment at Nicholas Cosmetic Dental Center in Philadelphia, PA, call us at (215) 279-1193 or visit our website, www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com.