Eating Resources For Those With Dental Treatments & Dental Conditions

Eating starts with chewing. Think of your head as the perfect chewing machine, one with many moving parts which must be in good working order to get the job done properly. Our teeth are set firmly into jaw bone, our maxilla and mandible. Nerves communicate with our chewing muscles to bring our upper and lower teeth together to cut and grind food. This movement is possible because the mandible is essentially a freely floating bone in our skull. It is connected to the rest of our skull through a specialized joint called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ is one of the most complex joints in the human body. Most joints can only move in a single plane, the TMJ can move in multiple planes, allowing muscles to move the mandible forwards, backwards, up, down, and side to side. Ligaments in the TMJ are like guard rails, guiding mandibular movements and preventing joint dislocation due to excessive movements in any one direction.

All these different body parts work together to make chewing possible. Any change or disruption to any of these integral parts can affect one’s ability to chew and eat food. Dental treatments and dental conditions can often be the source of a person’s eating difficulties. Easy-To-Chew recipes can be instrumental in making mealtimes enjoyable for those whose normal eating abilities have been affected by dental treatments and dental conditions. 

 

recipes for denture wearers
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The Following Dental Situations Often Lead To Eating Difficulties :

Some Tips For Preparing Meals For Those With Chewing Difficulties Related To Dentistry:

  • We chew food to make it small enough to swallow and digest.  Dental problems can make it difficult (or at the very least, time consuming) to break down food enough to swallow comfortably.  There is no greater tool to compensate for this than a blender or food processor.  Both these tools are, in my opinion, mandatory to have if you have difficulty chewing. There is no easier way to mince, chop, blend, puree, or grind up food. 
  • Steaming, boiling, grilling, baking, and using the all powerful crockpot, are all cooking techniques that make hard foods softer and easier to chew.  Foods which normally require heavy bite forces to eat, like carrots or apples, require very little bite force to eat if the proper cooking technique is used. 
  • Home cooked meals taste better.
  • Cook three meals a day with healthy snacks in between meals.
  • At each meal, half your plate should be fruits and vegetables
  • Everyone’s eating situation is unique. Try to make sure that each meal is the proper texture/consistency for their unique situation.
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Easy-To-Chew is a food blog created by a dentist, a public health professional, and a registered dietitian. Their mission? To cook up delicious recipes  dedicated to those who are in need of foods which are easy to chew, easy to swallow, and easy to love!

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Helpful Cooking Appliances When Cooking For Those With Chewing Difficulties

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A crock pot is a simple way to prepare meals in advance. Cooking foods, especially meats, at controlled temperatures for long periods of time makes them easy to chew and delicious!

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There is no finer way to puree foods than a Vitamix Blender. It can turn any food into a single, smooth texture which is easy to swallow.

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A food processor is a must have for finely chopping, slicing, and pureeing foods. It does all the work for you, which is especially helpful if your age or health status limits your ability to chop and slice foods by hand.

recipes for denture wearers
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