If you experience TMJ pain, you will know that it’s no joke. TMJ pain can make every day painful and make everyday activities like brushing your teeth or moving your jaw unbearable. In order to avoid experiencing this pain, we highly recommend that you visit Dr. Buzbee in Springfield at Chesterfield Family Dental. We can find out the root of your TMJ pain to provide you with the necessary treatment for pain relief. If you have already been diagnosed, here are a few tips to help you avoid TMJ pain.
1. Wear a Mouth Guard
If you play any contact sports, it’s important to wear the proper oral appliance to prevent your teeth from experiencing any damage or pain. When you wear a mouth guard during contact sports, your mouth has an extra layer of protection. This will help prevent your teeth from being knocked out as well as keep your teeth in a non-clenching position. Clenching your teeth together can aggravate your jaw and cause TMJ pain.
2. Wear a Night Guard
Like wearing a mouth guard, wearing night guard is just as important. If you’re prone to grinding or clenching your teeth at night, you most likely have experienced waking up with severe jaw pain. This act is known as bruxism. Bruxism can play a huge role when it comes to TMJ pain and wearing a night guard at night can actually help. When you wear a night guard, it protects your teeth from suffering damage when you try to grind or clench them together. Instead, they prevent you from bruxism. As a result, you can wake up without a stiff jaw or severe pain.
3. Relax
One of the leading causes of TMJ pain is stress. Stress can cause you to clench or grind your teeth without even realizing it. In order to de-stress, make sure you’re taking the time you need to enjoy activities to unwind. Squeezing in exercise daily can help you deal with stress in addition to eating healthy and making plans to look forward to. If necessary, seek help from a psychologist or therapist.
4. Watch What You Eat
Certain foods can actually aggravate your jaw. Avoid chewy foods like hard vegetables, steak, corn, and hard chips. These foods can put pressure on your jaw which can aggravate your TMJ. For best results, try to stick to a diet with softer foods. Your jaw will thank you!
5. Watch What You Drink
If you’re a big coffee, tea or soda drinker you might not know that caffeine can actually cause you to grind your teeth. It’s possible that you’re grinding your teeth throughout the day without even knowing aside from the persistent jaw pain. Cut back on the caffeine to see if your TMJ pain improves.
Seek Help for TMJ Pain in Springfield Today
Try out our tips to avoid TMJ pain today! If you’re still in significant pain, please visit our Springfield dentist to find a TMJ treatment that works for you. Give us a call or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment at our Springfield dental office.