When you learn from our Lake Orion, MI team that a functional problem called TMJ disorder is the reason you’re experiencing pain, strange noises when you eat, and more, a light bulb may go off over your head! Suddenly, you make the connection between your TMJs (or jaw joints), what they do, and how your symptoms match up with the oral health issue affecting you. However, though you have connected the dots, you may not have gotten to the point quite yet that you realize how your habits can negatively influence your TMJ health, making it worse. As you become more familiar with TMD, we are happy to help you stop bad habits, so you give jaw joints a rest!
Gum Chewing
We know that you may love gum chewing. You may also have not yet put two and two together in terms of how this seemingly harmless treat can harm your TMJ health. We encourage you, of course, to remember that one of the things that further exhausts and/or aggravates jaw joints is too much movement. Yes, you will still need to eat your meals. However, when you chew gum, you require your TMJs to work nonstop until you’re through. This could be 10 minutes or an hour! In any case, it’s too much. Skip the gum for now.
All-Day Snack-A-Thons
In addition to the fact that all day snacking can encourage tooth decay and a need for fillings, there’s something you may be overlooking in regard to your TMJ health: Similar to gum chewing, when you snack frequently, you force your jaw joints into motion. The more you move them (especially if you’re eating something hard or chewy), the more you risk additional damage and strain! Try to stick to a few meals and limit your snacking to keep jaw joints calm.
Procrastinating In Regard To Dental Visits
Though it may not have occurred to you, if you’re procrastinating when it comes to scheduling dental checkups with us, this is a habit that will negatively affect your TMJ health if you’re having problems. What you need is a visit, so we can explain the problem and begin providing TMJ treatment. See us soon!
Treat Your TMJ Disorder For Good Jaw Health
We encourage you to take the time to see our team as soon as you can if you think you may require TMJ treatment to both improve and protect your jaw joint health! To schedule a visit for in Lake Orion, MI, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry today at 248-693-6213.
