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TMD
Examination and Diagnosis
HOME
CARE
1. Instruct the patient
to follow a soft food/no-chew diet for approximately one month. This will
include avoidance of foods of various textures including:
- Chewy foods,
e.g. sourdough bread crust, pizza and steak.
- Hard foods,
e.g. carrots and hard candy.
- Sticky foods, e.g. gum or caramel.
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For the products
that best support healing and general health during this phase of
treatment (and beyond), click here .
For squeeze
bottles that help patients maintain good nutrition while on a liquid/soft
diet or with a severely limited oral opening, click
here.
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2. Instruct the patient
to use a soft, cold compress over an inflamed temporomandibular joint
10-15 minutes per application, 3-4 times per day. Your examination should
enable you to accurately identify joint inflammation and thereby guide
this recommendation (see TMD Training
DVD for examination guidelines). For inexpensive, effective
tools for examination as well as products that will help patients follow
your home care instructions, e.g. cold compresses, click
here.
3. Instruct the patient to avoid wide mouth opening, especially of a prolonged
nature. Specific instructions include suppressing yawning and to avoid
dental visits other than those which are deemed to be medically necessary.
The patient can suppress yawning by either putting their hand under their
chin when they yawn or lower their head toward their chest when they yawn.
While both techniques work the whiplash patient may best be served by
using the hand under their chin so they don't strain their neck.
4. Instruct the patient to avoid repetitive and/or expressive speech.
(In severe cases the patient may have to be placed on temporary disability
depending upon their job description.)
5. Instruct the patient to avoid clenching. Patients are frequently unaware
of any tendency to clench their teeth and, in fact, may only develop this
tendency secondary to a whiplash injury or other traumatic event. Instructions
to avoid clenching in the early phases of the disorder may well serve
to modify this perpetuating influence. One simple suggestion is to have
the patient focus on keeping the lips together with the teeth apart and
having the tongue rest on the roof of the mouth.
Questions?
Email Dr. Steigerwald at: info@whiplashandtmj.com
or call 631-749-1534 (NY)
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2010 WhiplashandTMJ.com, All rights reserved. | (631) 749-1534
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