Exercises to Relieve TMJ Pain and Stiffness

TMJ pain can cause your jaw to stiffen up and cause problems with eating, talking, and even smiling. Here at Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, we are able to treat patients with TMJ pain. Read through some of these exercises that may help you and contact us about the other ways we can help.

There are several exercises that can help relax your jaw, relieve pain, and allow you more range of motion. Try out some of these for yourself. Remember to be gentle and if the exercises make the pain or stiffness worse, do not continue them.

• To relieve tension, smile as big and wide as you can. Have your teeth open two inches and hold your smile for a few deep breaths. Relax your face. Do this exercise a few times until you feel your muscles start to relax.


• To stretch a tight jaw, place your thumb under your chin with your mouth closed. As you open your mouth half way, apply pressure upward with your thumb. Do this ten times.


• To improve how far you can open your mouth, do opening exercises twice daily. Gently open your mouth as far as you can a few times in the morning and a few times at night. If you do this every day, you will begin to see improvement over time.

TMJ pain can be frustrating, but there is help. To schedule an appointment with Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, call our office at (212) 509-4585 or visit our website, www.maidenlanedental.com. 

Avoid These Foods to Avoid TMJ Pain

TMJ can be painful and since it affects the jaw joints, eating can aggravate the condition even more. At Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, we want our patients suffering with TMJ pain to find relief and avoid flare-ups. Keep reading to learn about the types of foods to avoid with TMJ/TMD.

Crunchy, hard, and chewy foods are the big three to avoid. When the jaw needs a lot of force to bite into something or if it needs to do a lot of work to chew through it, it TMJs can become irritated. Crunchy foods like pops and chips should be avoided. Hard foods like carrots, whole apples, and bagels should be avoided or made softer by cooking it or cutting it into smaller pieces. Chewy foods like gummies and candies should also be avoided. Choose more tender cuts of meat and stay away from chewier seafood options like shellfish. Fish is a much more tender option that is easier on the jaw.

In addition to these foods, avoid chewing hard non-food options. Bad habits like chewing pens and biting fingernails can do just as much damage or more.

TMJ can be painful but there are ways to avoid triggering it. If you are experiencing jaw pain, be sure to visit our New York, NY office for an evaluation. To schedule an appointment at Maiden Lane Dental, call our office at (212) 509-4585 or visit our website, www.maidenlanedental.com. 

Dr. Lloyd Becker Treats TMJ Disorders

TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your skull at the temporal bone. While many call disorders associated with this joint, TMJ, those disorders are more appropriately called TMD (temporomandibular disorder), and TMD can have symptoms that range from teeth grinding and headaches to trouble chewing and pain when opening and closing your mouth. TMD is not only an annoying disorder; it is also a destructive one and can cause serious damage to your teeth if left untreated. At our office in New York, NY, Dr. Lloyd Becker can determine if you suffer from TMD and offer ways to treat the disorder.

The TMJ controls an assortment of jaw functions, including chewing, so if you’re chewing muscles or the joint itself is in pain, it is possible that you have TMD. TMD is often caused by stress, which leads to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding while awake and asleep. TMD’s symptoms include pain, trouble chewing, lock jaw, headaches or ear pain and a popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth. However, these symptoms may be indicative of other health problems as well, so it is important to see a medical professional for a diagnosis.

Grinding your teeth is an especially worrisome TMD-associated behavior since it can lead to further problems with your mouth. If your teeth grinding is left unaddressed, you will cause serious wear to the enamel of your teeth and expose the dentin, which will make your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold and more susceptible to decay. However, you can work with Dr. Becker to relieve symptoms with mouth guards or night guards.

If you think that you might be suffering from TMD or teeth grinding, schedule an appointment Maiden Lane Dental by calling 212-509-4585. For more information, visit www.maidenlanedental.com.