TMJ prevention
TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is a difficult syndrome in which the person afflicted will have difficulty swallowing and controlling their jaw. It is especially a difficult illness, as it affects the Temporomandibular Joint which links your upper jaw to your temporal bone that is in your skull. This joint is vital for eating, drinking, chewing, yawning and almost any activity that includes using your jaw. Once you have a problem with your TMJ it can be quite difficult to overcome it; as its treatment would entail eating only soft foods and sometimes in difficult cases you may need to undergo several painful surgeries. Thus TMJ syndrome is not something that you would want to experience; thus you should take all possible precautions in order to save yourself from going through all that discomfort.
In order to prevent a problem with your TMJ, you should take some necessary precautions. One thing that can cause a TMJ disorder is definitely the micro traumas that your jaw might experience over the years. These micro traumas include things like chewing gum extensively over the years and biting down on hard objects like pens or pencils. These two activities have been found to be extremely debilitating to the jaw bone and to the Temporomandibular Joint. In fact, the chances of T M J Disorder being developed on someone who has been chewing gum at least four times a week is about ten times more than a person who chews a gum once in a while. Thus, the first step that you can take for TMJ prevention would be to stop chewing gum frequently and to stop biting down on pencils and pens. Although you may think that it is a simple act, when you bite down on a pencil, you exert pounds of pressure on your Temporomandibular Joint. Especially over time, these pounds of pressure can lead to decay, wear and even tear in your joint. Unfortunately treatment for such a problem would involve jaw splinters and a surgery.
One other thing that you have to watch out for is clenching or grinding your teeth, especially when you are in stress. Especially clenching puts periodic and systematic pressure on your Temporomandibular Joint, which can lead to wear over long periods of time. Thus in order to prevent TMJ, you should use techniques like meditation and therapy to help you overcome stress. Especially grinding your teeth is something done unconsciously, so you should seek help from people close to you so that you can overcome your habit.
Another thing that you need to watch out for is yawning. As you know, yawning is an automatic reaction that takes place when you are sleepy. You should take care not to yawn full force, by opening your mouth only partially. All of the measures stated above will help you prevent from TMJ Disorder, especially in an old age. Don’t forget that the treatment will always be more difficult compared to prevention.
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