Dining Out With TMJ Disorder

Eating out is perhaps one of the more difficult situations to contend with if you have a severe case of TMJ. It can be depressing as hell, as most restaurants do not seem to cater to this particular ailment. Few restaurants offer many items that can be chewed easily.

Forget These Places

Forget about steak houses. Forget about pizza. These types of restaurants will probably not work and will only serve to make you depressed about your condition. This does not mean that you cannot eat out, however. You'll just have to use some creativity and select your restaurants carefully. This can be difficult if you are dating, if you are part of a group, or if you are participating in a group gathering where the choice of where to eat is made by others.

Remember What You Can Eat

Remember the things you CAN eat: pasta, soups, fish (not fried) rice, cheese, and most ground meats (depending on your TMJ condition). Obviously, Italian restaurants will work well for you, and surprisingly, many Mexican dishes will work, particularly cheese or ground beef enchiladas, although some may not regard this as particularly healthful fare. But it's not like you're eating this every day! Burritos can be doable if they are not dry. Avoid the chips and salsa.

Fish is a safe choice, but only if it is grilled, baked, or poached, and please do not eat farmed salmon as it has received a great deal of bad press, is potentially full of dioxins and PCB's, and is not nearly as full of Omega 3 fatty acids as wild salmon. In general, be careful about consuming any farmed fish. Also, fish can be too chewy for you if it is not cooked correctly or if it's been frozen.

Breakfast restaurants are a no-brainer with their multiple egg and pancacke offerings.

The soups in many restaurants are very high in fat and salt, but they are tasty, and what the heck, at least you're not eating meat containing hormones and antibiotics, and you're not wolfing down bread lathered with butter, or appetizers that are deep fat fried. Splurge.

Sometimes buffets offer edible choices, and remember there are always side dishes. I once had a tiny spinach souffl矇 and a baked sweet potato for dinner, both of which had been offered as side dishes. My meal was incredibly filling and delicious.

Chinese food is not particularly easy to eat. Finding edible food at Grills and Sports Bars is also next to impossible.

Try to think of all the money you'll save by not eating out so much. And, remember, most sufferers of TMJ do improve.