We've talked in the past about how long a typical TMJ flare-up lasts. What if there were ways to reduce flare ups altogether? Is it possible that the answer lies in your diet?
While diet alone can't
address TMJ issues, you can learn how to help TMJ by prioritizing some foods and avoiding others. While there's no such thing as a TMJ diet and each person's diet should reflect their specific health needs, we can clue you in on the best and worst foods for TMJ disorders.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about diet and TMJ symptom management.
How to Help TMJ: Does Food Make a Difference?
Helping us chew and eat food is one of the most important roles of the temporomandibular joints. Chewing also happens to be one of the activities that exerts the most pressure on those joints, and TMJ flare-ups typically occur when strain or pressure causes inflammation around the temporomandibular joints.
To that end, avoiding foods that put too much strain on your jaw may reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups. However, you should also consult a TMJ specialist about
treatment options for thorough TMJ management. For some patients, orthodontic treatment, TENSing, mouth guards, and more can make the biggest difference in reducing TMJ symptoms.
Best Foods for TMJ
Prioritizing certain foods at home may help to reduce the pain and pressure in your jaw. Let's take a look at the groups of foods to try when you're seeking TMJ symptom management.
Soft Foods
If you've dealt with TMJ flare-ups in the past, you probably know that soft foods cause a lot less pain to chew. This is because you don't have to exert as much pressure or chew as many times in order to break down each bite. Soft foods include:
- Baked fish
- Roasted vegetables
- Starchy fruits like bananas and ripe pears
- Eggs, particularly scrambled
- Beans and lentils
- Certain soups and stews
If you're looking to incorporate more raw fruits and vegetables into your TMJ-friendly diet, consider options like smoothies or juices that don't contain added sugar.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Though misalignment of the jaw can cause that popping sound or locking sensation, the pain associated with TMJ often comes down to inflammation.
Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids can have an anti-inflammatory effect, which may reduce mild to moderate TMJ pain. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring
- Oysters
- Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
Other anti-inflammatory foods include olive oil, leafy greens like spinach and kale, tomatoes, and berries. Fortunately, many of these anti-inflammatory foods are easy to incorporate into a soft food diet.
Worst Foods for TMJ
Avoiding certain food groups is arguably one of the best lifestyle changes to make when trying to limit TMJ flare-ups. Let's take a look at the foods that put the most strain on your jaw and exacerbate TMJ symptoms.
Hard Foods
Hard foods require more pressure to break down while chewing. Hard foods include things like:
- Certain raw fruits and vegetables, like carrots and apples
- Crunchy foods like pretzels
- Certain nuts like almonds and Brazil nuts
Cooking hard vegetables can soften them, making them easier to chew and digest. A common concern we hear about cutting down on raw produce is that cooking vegetables can lead to nutritional loss. It's worth noting that certain cooking methods (like roasting and steaming)
yield lower nutritional loss and that even cooked produce is part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Foods That Require Excessive Chewing
There are some foods that you might not classify as "hard" but that still require a lot of chewing. These foods include things like:
- Tough meat
- Certain baked goods like sourdough or bagels
- Lettuce-based raw salads
- Certain dried fruit like dried mango
Of course, chewing gum falls into this category, as well. While using ice to cool a drink is perfectly fine, we also recommend that TMJ patients avoid chewing on ice.
Examples of a TMJ-Friendly Diet
Making a major change in your diet can feel daunting and while you may have a general sense of what foods to eat and avoid, you may not know how to put them together in a filling a nutritious way. Here are a few ideas to help you build a TMJ-friendly meal plan.
For breakfast, skip the toasted bagel or chewy granola bar and instead try options like:
- Yogurt with a fruit puree and a few teaspoons of chia seeds
- Scrambled eggs with sautéed spinach or a helping of fresh salsa
- A smoothie with your favorite fruits, a cup of greens, and your favorite milk or protein powder
For lunch, avoid thick or heavily toasted sandwiches and instead make batches of:
- Tuna or egg salad
- Burrito bowls with rice, beans, and sautéed or roasted vegetables
- Soups with vegetables and whole grains like barley
- Quinoa with roasted vegetables and chickpeas
For dinner, replace tough red meat and raw salads with options like:
- Cooked salmon with a side of rice or quinoa and lemon-roasted vegetables
- Baked sweet potatoes topped with tomato-rich chili
- Curried vegetables with brown rice
- Pasta with roasted chicken and steamed broccoli or sautéed leafy greens
Finally, snacking between meals is a great way to stave off hunger and keep up your energy. To make the most of your snacking, combine protein with fruits or vegetables. TMJ-friendly options include things like cottage cheese with cantaloupe, banana slices with almond butter, cucumber spears with hummus, and string cheese with a handful of berries.
Call Dental Care Burke for TMJ Treatment
If you're ready to learn how to help TMJ at home, making small changes to your eating habits is a great place to start. Replacing hard or chewy foods with soft foods and anti-inflammatory foods may reduce the frequency and severity of your TMJ flare-ups.
For more thorough TMJ treatment, it's time to talk to your dentist. Dr. Bernard Lynch, DMD, FAGD, LVIF stays up-to-date with cutting-edge technology and treatment methods to ensure his patients get the best oral care possible.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start managing your TMJ.
