TMD Tips: What Food You Should and Should Not Eat

Have you ever felt a pain on the side of your mouth after eating something hard? Perhaps you have a problem with your jaw. This intense pain could be the temporomandibular disorder (commonly called the TMD), but it is only through diagnosis that you could confirm your situation. Having this problem is unfortunate not only because of the pain you feel but also because of your food limitations. The wrong food could trigger that pain again, so you need to be extra careful with what you consume. 

If you are diagnosed with TMD and having a hard time thinking about the kinds of food you could have, this article would suggest food that you can enjoy. 

The Best Food a Patient with TMD Can Have

It is not only hard food that could trigger your TMJ disorder. Even an unhealthy diet could trigger the pain. The best you can do for your body is to ensure it gets the proper nutrition it needs. Here are some of the best diet that you can follow:

  • Soft Food Diet: Since eating hard foods could only give you pain, consider having soft and easy-to-chew foods, such as soups, smoothies, baked salmon, or scrambled eggs. You do not always have to settle for soups when eating a soft diet. It should still be full of nutrients and foods you can enjoy while getting well. 
  • Anti-inflammatory Foods: Make sure to include foods that could help you prevent inflammation. There are so many natural anti-inflammatory foods you can include in your diet that would not trigger pain. Using olive oil and adding tomatoes and green leafy vegetables to your diet could give you that protection. Salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines could also give you the same effect. Moreover, these recommendations are easy to eat and would not give you a hard time.

It does not mean that you should avoid the rest of the food not fitting the category. However, you should limit your intake of these foods as much as possible. That includes food that could activate inflammation fast, such as fried foods, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and the like. 

What People with TMJ Disorder Should Avoid

To give you a more thorough list, here are the foods that you should avoid if you suffer from extreme joint pain:

  • Hard nuts
  • Ice (only if you plan to bite one; you can use it for improving the condition of any swelling)
  • Tough meat or chewy meat
  • Hard fruits and vegetables (example: carrots, apples, apricot, cauliflower, corn, etc.)
  • Crusty and hard bread
  • Chewy baked goods
  • Gum, sticky candies, chewy candies

Conclusion

In most cases, the TMJ disorder could go away on its own, but if your condition is getting worse, you should seek immediate and professional help as soon as you experience severe pain in your jaw. Your dentist or doctor could recommend you with the best exercises, treatment, or support to make the pain subside and eventually cure your TMJ disorder.

If you want to make sure that the pain you feel is indeed because of TMJ, visit Ivy Rose Family Dentistry in Mansfield, TX. Only through identification of the real problem comes the best treatment and solution. We can provide you with a mouth guard for TMJ and other necessary treatments depending on your case. Contact us and book an appointment for an examination.