TMJ Sufferers, Avoid These Candies on Halloween

Published: 10/25/2017

Halloween is quickly approaching and with this holiday comes a variety of tasty treats to delight your sweet tooth. However, this can also be a good time to talk to your dentist in Tampa, FL about how these treats affect different oral symptoms. One common complaint is jaw pain due to TMJ, known in its longer form as temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This sliding of the jawbone can be exacerbated by eating certain foods, so avoid these candies this season.

Sticky Treats

Anything sticky, such as caramel or taffy, makes your jaw work hard to break it down enough for swallowing. This means you are more likely to cause slippage and experience pain due to TMJ. Pass the sticky candies to someone else if your jaw hurts or you experience frequent TMJ distress.

Hard Candies

Similar to something sticky, something hard makes your jaw work hard. You need to exert a lot of force to break hard candies and it is why jaw breakers have their name. If your TMJ is a rare thing that will go away soon, hold on to those hard candies for later. Otherwise, pass them up entirely.

Crunchy Snacks

Crunchy candies are another treat to avoid this Halloween. While they are not as obvious as sticky and hard candies, crunchy foods still cause problems with TMJ sufferers. The crunch can be uneven and cause your jaw to over or under compensate in terms of pressure. This is dangerous for jaw slippage and should be avoided.

TMJ is a common issue faced by many Americans. During Halloween and the following celebrations, candy will be everywhere so you need to know what to avoid. Sticky, hard and crunchy candies are not good for TMJ sufferers, so look for something softer instead. Your dentist may have a list of allowed candies. Contact Dr. Genninger’s office today to find out more about TMJ.