Is mastic gum good for TMJ?

If you’re into self-improvement and becoming better-looking—and you haven’t been living under a rock—you’ll know that mastic gum is the best method to tone your jawline without the harmful artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and the literal plastic that virtually all other gums have.

If not yet aware or convinced of mastic’s supremacy, definitely check out our articles on why mastic gum is the best chewing gum for jawline growth and why Greco Gum is the highest quality mastic gum, making it the only option worthy of your hard-earned money

Alongside your satisfaction with Greco Gum, your safety is our priority; below, we’ll analyze one of the most common questions about mastic gum: Should I chew mastic gum if I have TMJ?

There’s much debate about this topic in online forums, and many people are quick to shut down chewing mastic gum with TMJ at face value—but as in all things health-related, there’s nuance here, and the thing you think is a harmful stressor may actually be therapeutic in small doses. But first, let’s get our definitions straight since there’s even significant confusion around what TMJ itself actually is.

What is TMJ?

Though it affects ~12 million people in the US between the ages of 20 and 40 and far more worldwide, there’s a ton of confusion around TMJ online as to what TMJ actually is—likely because the abbreviation itself doesn’t specify any actual condition, leading it to be thrown around as a blanket label for any kind of jaw discomfort, with many self-diagnosing.¹²

TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint, and like the hips and shoulders, the TMJ—or rather, TMJs as there is one on each side of the face—is a ball-and-socket joint that connects the sides of the skull (temporal bones, AKA temples) to the lower jaw (mandible), ergo Temporomandibular Joint. When people refer to “TMJ”, they mean the dysfunction of this joint or related structures, constituting various TMJ disorders.

Many TMJ specialists report that a huge chunk of people who come to them for suspected TMJ actually just have tight jaw muscles as a result of muscle tension and jaw clenching from stress. In self-diagnosing with TMJ, you may be avoiding eating tough foods or chewing mastic gum when really you just need to chill out and massage your tight face muscles.

Symptoms of TMJ

To truly figure out if you have TMJ, you’ll need some sort of imaging from a TMJ specialist (usually a TMJ dentist or ENT) to confirm if there is an actual structural hindrance, leading to dysfunction and discomfort at play. You may want to visit a specialist if you have recurring or persistent cases of these symptoms:

• Jaw pain or tenderness, especially around the joint area near the ears, which may worsen with chewing or speaking
• Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing, sometimes making it hard to open the mouth fully
• Jaw stiffness or locking
• Clicking, popping, or grating sounds when opening or closing the mouth
• Ear-related symptoms like earaches, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), or a feeling of fullness in the ears
• Tooth Pain
• Misaligned Bite

In rare cases, people with TMJ are recommended surgery to reinforce the joint or correct structural abnormalities, but most cases of TMJ just require exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles. We advise you to consult with a trusted doctor and follow their advice, but instead of expensive PT or surgery, might there be an easier, cheaper way to strengthen the jaw that has the added benefit of making you more handsome?

Does mastic gum help with TMJ?

To be clear, there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence showing chewing mastic gum helps alleviate TMJ symptoms. That said, mechanistically we—and many TMJ specialists—believe that most cases of TMJ can be helped by strengthening the jaw muscles to stabilize the joint, thereby protecting it from stress. Additionally, we have tons of anecdotal evidence just from Greco Gum reviews to illustrate this point, making the alleviation of TMJ symptoms just one of mastic gum’s many use cases.

Real reviews from Greco Gum customers about chewing mastic gum for TMJ:

• “Not only do I just LOVE the gum, I am thinking it may have helped with my chronic tmj as well as cleaning plaque off my teeth. Who would have thought! Love the product.”
• “Great gum for fixing a tmj jaw even noticed a huge release in all my facial fascia and alignment in my face structure.”
• “Fantastic product for anyone looking to train their jaw muscles, relieve TMJ tension, and improve digestion.”

How to chew mastic gum with TMJ or jaw discomfort

Be careful not to overexert yourself, especially in the beginning, and chew mindfully, limiting yourself to 10-20 minutes per day for the first couple of weeks. We also recommend stopping for a few days if you feel your joint issues are getting worse and starting out with Greco Gum’s Droplets, as they are harder but offer more consistency.

As you can see, mastic gum can be a low-cost potential solution to treating or even solving TMJ, but as always, please seek professional medical guidance when dealing with a serious medical condition.

Can mastic gum make TMJ worse?

Though mastic gum could be key in treating TMJ, in some cases it may exacerbate the condition and even cause it outright, given one’s specific bone structure, face and head shape, and face musculature, which is why consulting with a professional is important.

TMJ symptoms caused by mastic gum are more likely to occur in people with a history of TMJ who already have a sensitive jaw and are accustomed to a soft, Standard American Diet (SAD!)—or among those who chew mastic gum frequently and for long periods of time without taking breaks. Exercise caution when exercising your jaws!

Final thoughts

Chewing mastic gum when you have TMJ can be a sticky situation, but given the success some TMJ patients have with it, it’s worth trying yourself if you’re looking for a low-cost way to treat your symptoms. That said, again, there is no scientific evidence saying one way or the other. If you know what you’re doing, or your doctor thinks strengthening your jaw and surrounding face muscles can be therapeutic, be sure to pick up some tins of Greco Gum’s Droplets to give it a try.