Did you know that a person can clench their jaw for up to 250 pounds of force?
That’s like lifting a grand piano with your mouth!
Now imagine making your jaw carry something you can’t even carry with your bare hands. Needless to say, this puts a ton of unnecessary pressure on your jaw, leading to pain, inflammation, and even changes in the joint itself.
When it comes to maintaining symptoms of TMJD, proper oral habits matter. We previously discussed how stress impacts the development of certain habits, but there’s a whole lot more we can talk about — specifically, everyday things we do with our mouths that might not be all that good for them.
Pop quiz time! Chewing gum, smoking, and drinking through straws — what do these three things have in common?
The answer? Repetitive, unnecessary use on your jaw and supporting oral muscles.
Here’s why — constantly chewing gum can tire out your TMJ and lead to pain. Smoking introduces a host of other oral health risks, like gum disease and oral cancer. And using straws can encourage a forward head posture that puts strain on your jaw and neck.
Another prevalent oral habit is chewing on hair and other objects. I get it, those pen caps and loose strands can be tempting when you're deep in thought. But chewing on things other than food – especially those harder than food – is a recipe for dental disasters like cracked or worn-down teeth.
And I know that using your teeth as tools – whether for opening packages or cutting plastic ties – can seem convenient at first. But in doing so, you put a lot of lateral force on them, as well as your jaw muscles and joints. Personally? I’d rather just reach for the scissors.
And when you constantly grind your teeth or clench your jaw, especially at night, you might wake up with a headache and sore, swollen jaw muscles. Over time, this can lead to prolonged symptoms of TMJD which may make things like chewing and swallowing difficult.
Here’s something else to consider — believe it or not, the way you hold your tongue can have a big impact on your jaw health. If you're a chronic mouth breather, your tongue is always resting low in your mouth or pushing against your teeth.
This improper positioning can result in a narrow palate, crowded teeth, misaligned bite, and even poor posture – all of which contribute to jaw pain and TMJD.
Okay, okay — so back on oral habits. We know how bad some of these can be, but how can you possibly break these habits if they’re so ingrained?
We’ll tackle this topic in more depth in the future But the long and the short of it is this: the key to tackling any problem is getting to the root of it. Similar to how a toothache can be traced back to untreated cavities, oral habits likewise stem from a range of underlying causes and triggers.
Identifying bad habits, and simply being aware of them when they happen, is your first real step to making meaningful changes that your TMJ health will no doubt thank you for in the long run.
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