Posted on 1/11/2021 by Oral Surgery Specialists of Austin
Chronic jaw pain is uncomfortable and disruptive to an individual's lifestyle. Thus, managing it is vital towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Diet is an essential element in managing chronic jaw pain. While some foods are nutritious, they might cause extra strain on your jaw and worsen the pain. Generally, you should avoid sticky, hard, and chewy foods that strain your jaws during biting or chewing. We can classify these foods as high impact and inflammatory foods as follows.
High Impact Foods
High impact foods comprise foods that are tough on your jaw. They include nuts and candy, which are hard and deny your jaw rest for proper healing. Foods such as whole apples and sandwiches that require you to open your mouth wide to bite also fall under this category. You should also avoid chewy foods such as steak and bagels, which cause strain to your jaw. While chewing gum is not a food, you should also avoid it to give your jaws a break. Resting your sore muscles through avoiding chewy foods aids in settling down the chronic jaw pain symptoms. Also, while salads are healthy, they may worsen your chronic jaw pain. Thus, consider steaming your salad to make it friendly to your jaw.
Inflammatory Foods
Inflammatory foods comprise foods that can stir up joint pain. When consumed, these foods either make joint pain start or worsen if it was mild. Foods in this category include processed foods, refined carbohydrates, salty foods, corn oil, and alcohol. While the above foods can worsen chronic jaw pain, you should note that avoiding them does not limit your diet to soups and smoothies. Instead, you should consider maintaining a healthy diet with jaw friendly substitutes for these foods. Contact us today for more information on how to reduce chronic jaw pain by managing your diet.
Dental Implants Austin • Dental Blog • Oral Surgery Specialists We perform a variety of procedures in order to correct injuries, defects, and diseases to the head, face, neck, jaws, and tissues of the oral region. Read our Blog! Oral Surgery Specialists of Austin, 5301 Davis Ln, Suite 102, Austin, Texas 78749 ^ (512) 547-6852 ^ ossaustin.com ^ 3/20/2025 ^ Tags: Dental Implants Austin TX ^