[rosment]

Hi everybody

My husband suffers from severe bouts of TMJ, and yesterday while eating some almonds, he felt a *pop* and guess what-- he is back on pain killers and he can't close his mouth on the right side. So! He is only able to eat soft foods such as mashed potatoes and pudding. Do any of you have any ideas for vegan foods that he might could eat? The last time this happened to him, he was lacto-veg so he was eating lots of dairy foods that were soft. But now... I am a little out of ideas!

I have been boiling and mashing potatoes with onion, garlic, and rosemary and he has been eating some soy pudding. But he is getting a little tired of the same 2 things, and I don't know how many more containers of ready-made soy pudding our budget can take!! Thus far I haven't been able to find a soy yogurt that he likes so that is kinda out of the picture.

Thanks so much for any help anybody can give! I appreciate it so much!!

Ruth

 

[Kyo]

What is TMJ?

 

[scareyvegan]

applesauce, mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and brown sugar, veggies boiled to death in veggie broth

if you ask your dentist he would be able to tell you more

i worked in a dentists office briefly and thats all i can remember

Caroline

 

[rosment]

Here is a basic definition of TMJ.......

What are TMJ Diseases/Disorders?

TMJ diseases and disorders refer to a complex and poorly understood set of conditions, manifested by pain in the area of the jaw and associated muscles and limitations in the ability to make the normal movements of speech, facial expression, eating, chewing, and swallowing. Conditions that routinely affect other joints in the body, such as arthritis and trauma, also affect the TM joint. Many people with TMJ problems get better without treatment. Often the problem goes away on its own in several weeks to months. The treatment section of this brochure provides some self-help therapy ideas. If your jaw pain gets worse with time, you should seek medical advice and educate yourself as much as possible before beginning any TMJ treatment.

Researchers generally agree that the most common temporomandibular diseases/disorders fall into three main categories. A person may have one or more of these conditions.

--arthritis, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the jaw joint

--internal derangement of the joint, meaning the soft tissue disc which functions as a cushion between the skull and the jaw joint becomes displaced

--myofascial pain, discomfort or pain in the muscles that control jaw function and those in the neck and shoulders

 

[dakinirawk]

could he eat a tofu scramble?

 

[dakinirawk]

can he eat a tofu scramble?

 

[dakinirawk]

also, I would think you could make any number of sauces with tofu to put on the potatoes

tofu can be blended with all kinds of things to get different results.

what about smoothies? (I usually use rice milk, ice, frozen fruit, and banana, and whatever else I want). to give it more protein, you can put some silken tofu, peanut butter, or whatever....

 

[rosment]

We haven't experimented with tofu other than ready-made products, so maybe it is time... to try! Thanks for the idea, I hadn't even thought of that!! THat is a really good idea....

 

[epski]

Tofu blends quite well, and surely fruit smoothies with soymilk or tofu would be a healthy option.

Good luck with him. My mother has TMJ, and I'm a bit of a jaw-clencher at night myself, so I feel ya.

Best,

epski

 

[SunnyK]

Miso soup? Soft-cooked spinach or other greens? Rice porridge with ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce? Good luck.

 

[Finlay]

Maybe you could try lentil or bean soup?

 

[HappyDaisy]

How about juicing up some fresh veggies for him?

I seem to have developed TMJ in the last 6 months - and I have no idea why. It doesn;t hurt or anything, but sometimes it gets really LOUD in my head when I'm chewing, with all of the jaw popping. It is highly annoying.

rosment - where did you get that info on TMJ? I'd be interested in reading the self-help info.

 

[rosment]

HappyDaisy (and anyone else interested):

Try www.tmj.org-- hubby's oral surgeon reccomended that one, and that is where I got the definitions I posted earlier.

I can tell you from experience that the popping you are hearing/feeling... is just the beginning. If you can, get a mouthpiece (one of the plastic kind people buy for playing sports will do) and wear it at night to keep your grinding to a minimum and to keep your jaw set in a good angle. Of course, I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV! I just know that when we went the first time to the surgeon to have Chris's mouth looked at, the doc kept telling us that prevention was so crucial to keeping the symptoms down. I would hate for anyone to have to suffer the way Chris has with this. It's awful!

 

[scareyvegan]

yeah TMJ mouth splints are awesome

but theyre thick and expensive

you should get it looked at ASAP

Caroline

 

[rosment]

Caroline:

It's funny you mention that, Chris has SUCH a hard time with his splint. When he first wakes up, it almost gags him, he can't stand it...... the doc told him that in a few months we should go back and pay $1000 (no joke, I guess you know that tho!) and have a harder one made that will begin to harden the joint that he has destroyed with the grinding. Then come in every month for adjustments....... fun fun fun!

 

[HappyDaisy]

thanks for the info rosment, i really appreciate it. i suppose i should get it checked out, too. i didn't realize it could get so bad until i read this thread about your hubby.

 

[stellar26]

I also suffer from TMJ and when my jaw really starts to act up I like to stick to EXTREMELY steamed veggies with a little margerine (Earth Balance), salt, and pepper. Overcooked noodles and marinara sauce... I know it sounds gross but I also put steamed veggies in a blender to make a puree and eat that on REALLY bad days.

 

[stellar26]

Quote:

Originally posted by scareyvegan

yeah TMJ mouth splints are awesome

but theyre thick and expensive

My Oliver (beagle) got a hold of my splint a few weeks ago and chewed it to pieces. My jaw has been sooooo sore because I've been wearing whats left of it at a minimum. I really need to get it fixed, soon, but my dentist hasn't been able to fit me into his schedule.

 

[rosment]

Oh geez! That is NO good!

 

[Muzicfan]

you could also try homemade fresh veggie soup.

I just boil/steam a veggie till it is soft. Put that and silken soft tofu, and a smidge of soy milk. Also spices as needed to flavor, and whirl it up in the food processor. Turns out great.

How bout something with soft brown rice, like a casserole or something. I have a few recipes that offer that.

I also have a recipe for a enchilada casserole that is made in a crock pot, and had tomatos corn and other veggies in it, that is soft and like a stew that he could probably enjoy.