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What you eat truly affects your body. For example, people with diets heavy in fried foods and sweets may develop high cholesterol or diabetes. On the other hand, those who have health-conscious habits, tend to lead healthier lifestyles.

When patients have special conditions like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), their eating habits can directly affect the associated symptoms, like the jaw pain they typically experience.  To help his patients live more comfortably with TMD, Dr. S. Blair Jones, your Mansfield, TX dentist suggests foods patients should eat and which ones to avoid.

Eat More of These Foods for Fewer TMD Flare-Ups

By changing some of your eating habits, your TMD and jaw pain can significantly improve. Moreover, fewer flare-ups means your jaw has a chance to relax and heal.

  • Your Mansfield, TX recommends adding more healthy oils, such as: olive, grape seed, and walnut.
  • Lessen the amount of red meats you consume. Should you have to have a red meat, choose a leaner variety; lean red meat tends to have essential vitamins like magnesium and zinc.
  • To help reduce your inflammation and pain, consume more soy proteins. Soybeans and tofu provide excellent sources of these proteins.
  • Alongside soy, other anti-inflammatory foods include blueberries and strawberries. Plus, these fruits come loaded with antioxidants, which help promote a healthy body.
  • Drink plenty of vitamin C rich juices, such as orange and grapefruit juices.

Foods to Avoid

Some items can cause more harm than good. Therefore it’s best to limit your intake of the following foods and beverages.

  • Avoid caffeine since it’s a stimulant. This may agitate you and cause teeth grinding, which worsens any existing jaw pain.
  • Fried foods and those high in saturated fats increase inflammation in your body. To avoid inflaming your joints, decrease your intake of these foods or cut them out of your diet altogether.
  • Shy away from foods that would require you to open your mouth widely, such as: large sandwiches, hamburgers, and even apples.

Visit Mansfield Dental Associates for TMJ Treatment

If you think your jaw pain stems from TMD, visit Dr. Jones. Your Mansfield, TX dentist has the expert skill to locate the source of the pain and begin treatment immediately. To schedule an appointment, call our Mansfield office at (817) 259-1357. You can also schedule appointments through our website, and review the additional services we offer. We proudly treat patients from Mansfield, South Arlington, Kennedale, Southeast Ft. Worth, Alvarado, Midlothian and neighboring areas.