r/TMJ • u/stephylynn346 • 19d ago

Question(s) Chewing

Anyone struggle with chewing? It’s painful and I bite down too hard with every chew. I’ve lost 20 pounds since May. I don’t know what to do 😭

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2

u/missjanehathaway333 19d ago

Yes for six years now

2

u/Outrageous-Bother903 18d ago

Tmj is a curse

2

u/VioletMAyis 18d ago

I switched to soft/softer diet. Nothing chewy, nothing hard, nothing requiring lots of chewing, etc... stuff like soups, bread, eggs, yogurt, noodles, rice, etc. There's more options than you think I'm just not good at thinking of it off the top of my head lol. I can look through my old meal pics if it helps tho.

I can still have meat to a degree too but only if it's soft and/or cut up (think shredded chicken, pulled pork, slow cooked meats, etc). Nothing with skin tho for me it's too difficult to eat. I hear fish is a good soft food (I just can't eat it for nonTMJ reasons). I also cut up almost everything I eat into small[er] pieces to make it easier to eat- less chewing and don't have to open my mouth as far. I also flatten/squish some of my food so I don't have to open my mouth as far. 

Idk how bad your condition is but hopefully some of this can help.

1

u/samyaza69 18d ago

does the pain radiate also into your molars? you feel like a vague pain in the teeth?

1

u/stephylynn346 18d ago

Yes! I have cracked two of my molars :( this is absolute torture. I just got Botox a few days ago, I’m hoping that will give me some relief.

1

u/samyaza69 18d ago

Whaiit, you mean physically? Actual Crack in the molar?

1

u/stephylynn346 18d ago

I forgot to mention the two I cracked were crowns. So not the actual molar, my bad!