Eating can be a wonderful sensory experience. The combination of flavor, texture, and smell, especially for the right meal, can be the main event for a night out or an adventurous outing to experience a sense of culture with friends.

Imagine, you’ve finally gotten the chance to get out of the house for a change and go out on a dinner date. You sit down, order drinks and then decide what you’re in the mood for tonight. When dinner arrives, the smell perfumes the table and makes your mouth water. You can’t wait to dig in. You cut into dinner and as you go to take your first bite and start to chew, you feel a dull ache back toward your ear where your jaw meets the rest of your face. You wince but try to continue on but it persists and now it’s all you can think about. Dinner officially ruined.

If your eating experience is being hampered from your jaw locking up, getting stuck open or closed, or from generalized pain you may want to look into a consultation with a temporomandibular specialist like Dr. Buck.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a condition that results from an underdeveloped jaw at the temporomandibular joint. This deficiency in growth has a number of cascading effects. From trouble breathing to sleeping to eating, TMD has the potential to impact every facet of life.

When Should You Worry?

Not being able to enjoy the flavors of life to their full potential is reason enough to seek answers. As it pertains to TMD, these symptoms might encourage a visit an epigenetic orthodontist:

• Pain or tenderness in your face, jaw joint, neck, shoulders, or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth
• Clicking, popping, or grating sounds when you chew or open your mouth
• A tired feeling in your face
• Trouble chewing or an uncomfortable bite
• Swelling on the side of your face

The solution may be a simple one or it may require an oral appliance to adjust your teeth and jaw into the proper alignment. Whatever the diagnosis, relief from consistent jaw pain is possible. Get back to enjoying food the way it was meant to be enjoyed, pain free.

Call Us Today!

Of course not all eating related jaw pain suggests TMD, but if you’re experiencing symptoms of discomfort when you eat you should reach out to Dr. Buck for a consultation, it could be a sign of something serious. Call (425) 409-2086 today or visit our contact page to learn more about what is causing your symptoms.