Eating with TMJ Pain

What is a Soft Food Diet?

A soft food diet simply involves eating foods that are easy to bite and chew. When treating any joint the goal is to take as much pressure off of the joint as possible. Your joint needs rest in order to heal. Resting the jaw joint can be tricky though. You need it to eat and speak.

Certain foods put too much pressure on your joint. Hard foods like apples or crusty bread force you to open your mouth wide in order to bite them. Chewy foods like steak require repetitive movement from the jaw. If you have a TMJ disorder you should avoid these foods as much as possible. They will put more strain on the joint, making it difficult for it to heal.

With a soft food diet, you eat things that are still nutritious but don’t require too much movement from your jaw joint. Going on a soft food diet for TMJ pain gives your joint a chance to rest. This helps make any other treatment more effective.

What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Some studies show that certain foods can help reduce inflammation naturally. An anti-inflammatory diet combined with other treatments can help people who are dealing with chronic or severe TMJ disorders. The key to making a diet like this successful is sticking with it long-term and following the entire treatment plan, your TMJ specialist outlines for you. When it comes to severe or chronic TMJ disorders, diet alone won’t solve your problems.

But it can help. There are specific types of foods that can work with your body to control inflammation and reduce pain.

Antioxidant-rich foods protect your body from free radicals, which cause disease and inflammation. Fresh fruits and several vegetables are packed with antioxidants. Try including spinach, potatoes, avocados, sweet potatoes, and squash in your regular diet. Berries and melons also have a lot of antioxidants in them and can help reduce inflammation.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also helpful. Omega-3 fatty acids can actually stop inflammation from forming. They can be found in cold water fish like salmon, plant oils, and eggs. 

Spices like ginger and turmeric also help fight inflammation. You can add lemon ginger tea to your morning routine. There are also plenty of recipes that incorporate turmeric that you can try. 

In contrast to these anti-inflammatory foods, you should also avoid certain things that can make inflammation in your joints worse. Processed food, fried food, red meat, and food with added sugar all increase inflammation. Reducing these foods can help reduce the pain in your jaw joint.

What Should I Not Eat with TMJ Pain?

Food that you should not eat with TMJ pain include:

• Gum 
• Sticky or chewy candy, like caramel
• Crusty bread and bagels
• Tough meat like steak
• Hard fruits like apples
• Hard, crunchy veggies like carrots or celery
• Nuts
• Fatty foods

Hard, crispy, and chewy foods are often difficult for people with TMJ disorders to eat. These foods make your jaw work harder in order to bite and chew. The more your jaw has to work while you eat, the more inflammation increases. 

Unhealthy, fat-rich foods also increase inflammation in your body in general. If you want to reduce inflammation in your jaw joint and other areas of your body it’s important to avoid red meat, pastries, and fried foods.