TMJ Symptom Management

1. EAT A THOUGHTFUL DIET:

Eat soft foods like soup, eggs, fish, cooked vegetables, pasta, etc. Cut your food into small pieces and chew slowly. Avoid hard, crunchy and chewy foods, as well as thick or large foods that require your mouth to open wide. Do not eat only mush because your muscles will recover faster if you use them, but also do not eat anything that hurts. If you experience pain during or after a meal, chances are you ate the wrong food. Do not chew gum.

2. ALTERNATE ICE/HEAT:

Ice muscles and joints for 5 minutes and then follow with moist heat.

3. MASSAGE MUSCLES:

Massage Aspercreme, BenGay, or Biofreeze on sore muscles for 2-3 minutes, 3-4 times a day. There are a number of good YouTube videos to help guide your technique.

4. TAKE MEDICATIONS AS RECOMMENDED BY DOCTOR:

1. Ibuprofen: Take 400-800mg Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours the next 7 days to break the pain cycle and reduce inflammation.

2. Flexeril: Take 10mg before sleep to reboot the deep sleep cycle and recover the musculoskeletal system. If you wake up drowsy, cut the dose in half.

5. AVOID EXTREME JAW MOVEMENT:

This includes any movements or motions that cause discomfort (nail biting, chewing ice, biting pens, etc.) If you are wearing elastics with your braces they should be discontinued until symptoms subside.

6. COGNITIVE AWARENESS:

Don’t let your teeth touch unless you are chewing, swallowing, or speaking. Avoid clenching your teeth during daytime.

7. GET GOOD SLEEP:

Abstain from drinking alcohol close to bedtime hours. Avoid looking at electronics prior to going to bed (cellphone, laptop, tv, etc). Try to get 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night.

8. MINIMIZE CAFFEINE, STAY HYDRATED:

Minimize all caffeine (even chocolate) and nicotine use. Stay hydrated with water.

9. EXERCISE REGULARLY:

Exercise builds endorphins and reduce daily stress. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers.

10. MAINTAIN GOOD POSTURE:

Do not cradle your phone between your shoulders and neck. Reduce the amount of time you are texting. A forward head position for lengths of time wreaks havoc on jaws and neck muscles.

11. USE YOUR OCCLUSAL APPLIANCE AS RECOMMENDED:

Alert your doctor if the appliance is worsening symptoms or if you find yourself wearing it all hours of the day. Bring appliance to all future visit.

12. STRESS REDUCTION:

Look for areas in your life that are stressful and modify them to reduce excess pressure and stress.

13. PRACTICE PHYSICAL SELF REGULATION:

Follow the provided instructions. Use relaxation procedures and practice diaphragmatic breathing. Meditate during the day to slow the number of breaths you take per minute. Be patient— it takes time to reverse unhealthy, fatiguing habits. DO NO ACTIVITY THAT INCREASES PAIN!