“Is it hard to chew because of TMJ?”
I was diagnosed with TMJ over the past year, and I noticed that it's hard for me to chew. I can do it slowly but I can only eat so much. Is this because of TMJ?
6 Answers
Condition called capsulitis is one of the signs of TMJ syndrome and can be quite painful especially when chewing.
Most likely, you may want to explore options for treating it if you have not already.
You may be experiencing overuse of the jaw muscles in which case slower movements and breaks in between will be helpful. See a dentist for a treatment modality and possible need for a night guard if you grind and clench at night that exacerbates the problem.
TMJ dysfunction is certainly one possible cause of difficulty chewing. Do you have pain in front of your ears, or is discomfort more on your teeth? A well trained dentist can help you figure out what is going on.
Brenda Berkal, DMD
Brenda Berkal, DMD
Yes, TMJ can cause chewing to be only slightly annoying to VERY painful. What happens is that your jaw joint is positioned too far back in it's housing of the skull causing the protective jelly-like disc to slip forward off of the top of your joint. This then means that bone is touching bone when you open, yawn, chew, talk, etc. This is not normal.
That sounds like a reasonable assumption. My advice is to see your dentist to learn what options you have.
