Is Chewing Gum Increasing the Pain in Your Jaw?
Posted on 9/21/2020 by Clackamas Oral Surgery |
 You may enjoy a big, pink piece of bubble gum, or a nice little, minty gum to freshen your breath. But could that chewing gum be the cause of your jaw pain? In a nutshell… yes.
If You Suffer From Jaw Pain, You May Need to Ditch The Chewing Gum
When you chew gum, you are using your jaw muscles, and it is a pretty good workout for them. The problem is, you may be overworking those muscles, leading to jaw pain, or even TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder), a condition that leads to chronic pain in your jaw. If you already suffer from jaw pain or TMJ, you could make matters worse, but working those jaw muscles, so you can enjoy some chewing gum. We often chew on only one side of our mouths, without even realizing it. It is especially common when chewing gum, and can create an imbalance in your jaw, causing poor jaw and tooth alignment. It may not seem like a big deal, but a jaw not aligned properly, could lead to oral surgery.
Choose Something Else, Rather Than Chewing Gum
Besides the negative affect chewing gum can have on your jaw, it is bad for your teeth in another way – it is full of sugar, and sugar leads to decay. If not sugar, then it probably contains artificial sweetener, which has its own list of possible side effects. We understand, sometimes you want to freshen your breath, or chew some gum simply because you are bored, and maybe trying to avoid snacking. Try a glass of water to curb that desire to snack, or some sunflower seeds if you need to keep your mouth “busy.” If you are experiencing jaw pain, please contact our office and we can help you get to the source of it.
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