It is lunch time, and you didn’t have a chance for breakfast. Your stomach was rumbling so loudly in the mid-morning office meeting that three people looked at you and laughed. You are starving. You can’t wait to join your co-workers at the restaurant up the street where you can order a burger so big, you can barely fit your mouth around it. Today, you’re just hungry enough to devour the whole thing. You open your mouth wide to take that first juicy bite and you feel a shooting pain in your jaw. Your Shelburne, MA dentists, Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, and Hrinda, will tell you why you should be careful not to allow your eyes (and mouth) to be bigger than your stomach.
Super Size Your Dental Needs
Our society is definitely wired for “bigger is better.” Why order the small sandwich, when the large one is only a dollar more? Why eat a normal sized corn dog at the fair when they’re selling some that are four times as large? Well, one answer is that taking a bite that’s bigger than the size of your mouth can simply cause damage to your jaw. So be cautious, even if your friends are cheering you on to take the challenge at a restaurant and eat the 20 pound steak. While that might make for a great picture on Facebook, over-extending your jaw in such a way can lead to problems with your TMJs (temporomandibular joints).
Avoid Chewing Hard Candy
Have you ever seen the classic commercial where Mr. Owl is questioned as to how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Mr. Owl is happy to implement the necessary scientific research to get the answer. However, after three short licks, he can’t resist biting into the hard candy. You may be tempted to bite into hard candies and foods yourself. Unfortunately, chewing hard substances (including such objects as pencils and fingernails) can cause chips and cracks in your teeth, as well as stress to your jaw muscles.
Consult with Your Shelburne, MA Dentists
If you are concerned with jaw pain, or think you have chipped or cracked to tooth, Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, and Hrinda would love to be your Shelburne, MA dentists. Contact our 01301 dentist office by calling 413-772-0842. We are happy to serve patients in the western region of Massachusetts, close to the surrounding states of CT, NH, VT, and NY.