{"id":362,"date":"2022-08-07T03:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-07T03:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=362"},"modified":"2022-09-07T03:02:35","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T03:02:35","slug":"5-things-you-should-stop-tmj-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/5-things-you-should-stop-tmj-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Habits to Stop If You Have TMD"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-363\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Pen pointing to TMJ\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tmj-3.jpg 1554w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is located on either side of your face. It connects your jaw to your skull, allowing you to speak, eat, and even yawn. Most people don\u2019t spend much time thinking about their TMJ; however, if you have a disorder that affects the joint, it can influence your quality of life. Whether you have daily facial pain, difficulty opening your mouth, or headaches, here are 5 habits to break to reduce your TMJ disorder symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Stop Chewing Gum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chewing a piece of sugarless gum after lunch is a great way to cleanse your mouth and freshen your breath. However, it requires excessive use of your TMJ. If your muscles aren\u2019t given time to rest, it can increase joint soreness and stiffness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Don\u2019t Eat Hard Foods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may want to skip taco night or having a bagel for breakfast if you have TMD. Hard and chewy foods will place excessive pressure on your jaw. Eating softer foods will take the stress off the joint to allow it to recover. Cutting your foods into small pieces will also make them easier to chew.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Stop Chewing on Your Fingernails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a nervous habit of chewing on your fingernails or chomping on the end of a pen while concentrating, you can trigger TMJ symptoms. Para-functional habits can stress the joint and delay healing. It\u2019s better to choose non-functional jaw activities, like tapping your fingers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Avoid Chewing on One Side<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your jaw hurts, you may chew your food on one side of your mouth to lessen your discomfort. Unfortunately, this can cause stress on only one side of your face. Not only can this irritate the surrounding muscles, but it can also cause uneven wear on your teeth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Stop Clenching Your Teeth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people grind and clench their teeth, which is called bruxism. Whether you grind during the day or while you\u2019re sleeping, it can cause extreme stress on your jaw\u2019s muscles and joints. It can also damage your teeth, increasing your risk of breaks, fractures, and tooth loss. Since bruxism is often a subconscious habit, your dentist can provide you with a nightguard. It will provide a cushion between your upper and lower teeth to absorb the force. This can improve your jaw pain while protecting your teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get TMJ Disorder Treatment Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t have to live your life around your jaw pain. Your dentist can provide the solutions you need with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/tmj-therapy.html\">TMJ therapy<\/a>. They\u2019ll create a personalized plan to improve your jaw functions and restore your quality of life. You won\u2019t have to think twice about biting into a juicy hamburger.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Dr. West<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/meet-dr-west.html\">Dr. West<\/a> earned her dental degree from the University of Southern California Dental School and continued her education in sleep apnea and TMJ therapy. She specializes in neuromuscular and craniofacial pain. If you\u2019re ready to conquer your TMJ pain, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/contact-us.html\">contact our office<\/a> today to request your consultation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is located on either side of your face. It connects your jaw to your skull, allowing you to speak, eat, and even yawn. Most people don\u2019t spend much time thinking about their TMJ; however, if you have a disorder that affects the joint, it can influence your quality of life. Whether [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Things You Should Stop If You Have a TMJ Disorder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have a TMJ disorder, here are 5 habits you\u2019ll want to break to stop your pain and improve your jaw functions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/5-things-you-should-stop-tmj-disorder\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" 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