A Reminder that Not All TMJD Sufferers Recover

I received an email today that, once again, brought me back to planet Earth. I do not mean to sound insensitive or perhaps smug in my attitude about TMJ Disorder. It's unacceptable that from time to time I seem to need reminders that just because I recovered, doesn't mean that everyone can recover...or recover very easily... or recover without undergoing irreversible procedures.

Indeed, how can the medical profession possibly profess that this condition can be cured, when no one is exactly sure why the condition arises? Even in my own situation, I may be painfree, but I am cautious about what I eat! That's not really being cured.

As I was reminded tonight...NOT ALL TMJD sufferers clench and/or grind their teeth. I know that in earlier blogs I made this clear, but still, I need to repeat it more often. Many clenchers/grinders DO NOT DEVELOP TMJD. Many who NEVER clench or grind DO develop TMJD.

I was also caught short by the person's description of her intense pain and how it has permeated every single moment of her life. The sufferer is a nurse - she knows healthy habits and practices them. Again, I must stand truly chastised if I sound demeaning or if anyone believes that I am diminishing their pain. That is completely wrong on my part and something I never intended, but I will certainly be careful that I never sound this way again. So, I do want to apologize to those who feel that I have in any way diminished the seriousness of their condition or their pain. This was NEVER my intention.


TMJD is an extremely debilitating, depressing condition. The fact that it mostly affects women only is undoubtedly one reason why it's not researched and studied more carefully. If men suffered from this condition as much as women, perhaps there'd be a cure,or at the very least a good explanation for why it occurs. It seems that the causes of TMJD are as multifareous as the people who suffer from it.

I have talked with people who will never, ever chew again because of this condition and the irreversible procedures that well meaning dentists/doctors did to them. Others are thankful for a surgery that allowed them to live a "normal" life when it comes to eating.

For the lucky ones, this condition is temporary and/or transient. For many, however, it is a debilitating, excruciatingly painful fact of life. Anybody who has had TMJD has suffered in ways that ONLY a TMJD patient can begin to understand.

My deepest, sincerest apologies to all whom I may have offended. Because this is the second time that someone has taken serious offense at my presentations, I will no longer blog unless I have something "documentable" or "newsworthy" to discuss. My opinion should not be part of this blog.

If you've had success in treating or overcoming this condition, please contact me with this information so I may share it with others who may greatly benefit from your experience.

For TMJD Sufferers, a Softer Diet Could Mean a Healthier Diet

For those suffering from TMJ Disorder, changing to a softer, easier-to-chew diet, could mean a switch to a healthier way of eating.

This won't be true, of course, if one indulges in a steady stream of milkshakes and margaritas!

Softer diets generally don't have as much meat in them as standard fare. Meat is not at all bad for a person, but the amount of meat that Americans eat tends to be excessive. Meat is not needed on a daily basis, for one thing. Despite the plea to "show me the meat," many types of meat, especially processed meats, are laden with chemicals, preservatives, and hormones.

When one cuts back on meat, there is a tendency to fill the plate with some form of pasta. Pasta also is not bad for one...in moderation. Instead of pasta, one should try to fill one's plate with vegetables. Cooked vegetables are almost always easy-to-chew. While many people prefer their vegetables raw, this is usually not possible for the TMJD sufferer. Buy vegetables in season, preferably organic, and you may see the pounds drop in addition to the jaw improve.

Because of the economic downturn, many people tend to cut back on fresh produce because, in all honesty, it's expensive. However, buying vegetables in season will help with this cost; in addition, try growing some in patio containers or in a backyard garden. It's amazing how much better something seems to taste when one has raised it oneself!

Don't like vegetables? There's surely one you like...just eat it.

If, however, fresh vegetables are just not affordable, a good substitute is beans. Beans are cheap, versatile and...EASY-TO-CHEW. Besides being filled with protein, they're also a great source of fiber.

The key in all of this is to try to approach a softer diet with a positive mindset. Think of the benefits you'll derive from this way of eating, and don't focus on what you think you're missing out on.

You Can Conquer TMJ: Ideas and Recipes (Moonlight Mesa Associates) is a good resource for anyone looking for healthful, easy-to-cook, easy-to-chew, mostly one pot/pan meals. It's available at amazon.com.

Softer Diets Are Key to Easing TMJD Pain

It sounds too simple, but it's indisputable: Eating a softer diet is a key element in easing jaw pain.

By softer diet, I don't mean pureed foods, oatmeal and a steady flow of soup, milkshakes, and margaritas! There are many items one can eat when one is experiencing TMJD, and many of these foods are meals that everyone in the family will enjoy also.

One of the best items to consider eating, not surprisingly, is beans, which are full of protein and fiber. The benefit here is that most people suffering from severe bouts of TMJD are unlikely to be able to chew meat, particularly if it's the least bit tough, stringy, or "chewy." Beans, however, provide an array of important nutrients (including protein); they're easy on the budget, and they can be made into a myriad of tasty dishes. (For added nutrition, add a quarter cup of lentils the last hour of cooking.)

Hopefully, one will not resort to canned beans which are often high in sodium and who knows what else to "preserve freshness." Beans do take time to cook, however, so if time is a problem, try using a crockpot to prepare them. The beans can cook all day on low and will be ready to serve when you're ready to eat. You Can Conquer TMJ:Ideas and Recipes includes numerous, easy-to-cook, easy-to-chew recipes, including many tasty bean and lentil dishes.

Besides beans, another easy-on-the-jaw-and-pocketbook item is pasta in all its glorious shapes, sizes and colors. While pasta is admittedly high on the glycemic index, the dish is still worth serving because of its versatility. It can be served chilled, hot, plain, with sauces, as a side dish, main dish, etc.

If pasta is strictly off limits, You Can Conquer TMJ:Ideas and Recipes has a plethora of fish menus. Fish is usually chewable by all but the most critically ailing TMJD sufferers.

One may need to eat a softer diet to achieve relief for jaw pain for many months - sometimes up to a year. However, one will most likely experience substantial easing of pain after eight weeks on a softer diet. The key, however, is to maintain watchfulness about what one eats long after the pain is gone. TMJD is a disorder that is likely to flare again.

You Can Conquer TMJ: Ideas and Recipes, considered by many to be the gold standard in TMJD cookbooks, is available at amazon.com, www.rlcoffield.com and www.moonlightmesaassociates.com

TMJ Disorder and Nutritional Deficiencies

TMJ Disorder often results from prolonged cases of Bruxism. Bruxism is the medical term for tooth grinding. When grinding continues over a long period of time, besides wear and tear on the teeth, often TMJ Disorder develops because of the resultant stress on the jaw joint.

Bruxism can develop if a person's teeth are overly sensitive to heat and cold. Other causes include stress and allergies. More and more health experts nowadays believe that nutritional deficiencies can also cause bruxism.

One of the major things to take into consideration in all of this, is the amount of sugar that is consumed. It's recommended that people who grind their teeth and/or have TMJ Disorder, adopt a hypoglycemic diet. This is a diet that is "...high in fiber and protein and includes plenty of fresh vegetables and high-fiber fruits, plus legumes, raw nuts and seeds, skinless white turkey or chicken, broiled fish, and whole grains." In addition, eat starchy vegetables, like potatoes, and sweet fruits in moderation. Even though people believe fruit to be healthful, which it is, it is also extremely high in sugar.

It's also recommended that one eat six to eight small meals a day instead of three large ones.

Other suggestions are to avoid alcoholic beverages, which I've already discussed in another blog. Avoid fast foods, fried foods, processed foods and red meat, refined sugar, saturated fats, and severely limit dairy products. Avoid all foods with food coloring and preservatives.

Another recommendation is to avoid eating six hours before bedtime. Again, the idea is to not have sugar in the system. People who suffer from bruxism tend to have high blood sugar levels, so there may be a very strong correlation here between sugar intake and the tooth grinding.

Just because you may not eat table sugar, however, doesn't mean you're not getting a big dose of sugar anyway. High fructose corn syrup is an insidious product that has worked its way into almost every prepared food there is, from bread to packaged goods.

A final thought is to try taking Vitamin B complex. For some reason, many people are low in the B vitamins and these are positively critical. Major doses are not necessary or recommended. 100 mg. of each major B vitamin twice daily will do the trick.

There are other vitamins and minerals one can take as well, but try changing your diet first. The hardest part for most people is the withdrawal from sugar. It will take about two weeks. After that you'll begin to find that sweet, sugary taste quite repugnant.

It may be probable that people with TMJ Disorder/Bruxism are people who have deformed dental arches. Deformed dental arches occur due to parents' diet high in refined white flour and sugar which then affects the child's dental development.

Almost all the recipes in You Can Conquer TMJ:Ideas and Recipes are aligned with these eating recommendations. You'll find plenty of wholesome, easy-to-prepare, mostly one pot meals that will be easy on your jaw, filling and tasty too. You Can Conquer TMJ:Ideas and Recipes is available at amazon.com and http://www.rlcoffield.com/, as well as http://www.moonlightmesaassociates.com/.