News
Talk to a Neuromuscular Dentist before Trying Extreme Jaw Exercises
We all want to be fit, but what that means can vary widely among individuals. For some people, you’re not fit unless you’re exercising and building up all your muscles, even your jaw muscles. For these people, there’s the Facial Fitness Ball.
Although this tool does have some potential benefits, and may even be useful in the treatment of TMJ , it also has the potential to do some serious damage if not used properly. That’s why you should talk to a neuromuscular dentist before starting Facial Fitness Ball.
Attractive female working out a the gym. Just like exercise for your body there is now exercises for your jaw.
How Facial Fitness Ball Works
There’s not a lot of science behind the Facial Fitness Ball. It’s a piece of hard rubber, essentially, fitted with softer silicone bite parts that can be fitted in the same boil-and-bite fashion you’re used to for over-the-counter mouthguards. You are supposed to bite down on the Jawzrsize repeatedly, giving your jaw muscles a workout. The website claims the appliance gives up to 300 pounds of resistance, so it can give your bite a good workout.
The Claims of Facial Fitness Ball
As an exercise tool, not a medical treatment, the claims of the device have not had to be verified before the device went on the market. Therefore, the only evidence we have of its effectiveness is the testimonials supplied by the seller. In these testimonials, people claim many benefits from Facial Fitness Ball, including:
Improved facial appearance with greater bulk
Rejuvenated facial appearance–like a nonsurgical facelift
Relief from TMJ symptoms
Stronger neck muscles
Better jaw function
The basic claims of effectiveness from this device stems from the fact that when you’re working out your muscles, they will build up, which can make the skin more taut over time. It also stimulates blood flow to the area, which is claimed in a testimonial to help rejuvenate the skin and improve collagen production.
Stronger muscles, they claim, will help improve the function of your jaw and potentially protect you from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), or resolve symptoms.
Why Facial Fitness Ball Could Be Damaging
If your jaw is healthy, there is probably little harm in using Facial Fitness Ball. Although few foods require this kind of jaw strength to eat, there’s no reason why we couldn’t safely build up our jaw strength using a device like this. What the benefit of that would be is dubious, but it wouldn’t necessarily be harmful.
However, if your jaw isn’t in a healthy position, this exercise could be seriously damaging. If your jaw muscles are putting adverse strain on your jaw joints and teeth, the last thing you want to do is make those jaw muscles stronger.
If your jaw isn’t properly positioned, the exercise itself could be damaging to your jaw joint. Repeated applications of high levels of force could displace, damage, or wear the bone or cushioning cartilage in the jaw joints. A big concern is the fact that there’s little ability to customize the appliance for your bite. Just fitting it to your teeth is not enough. If you’re working your jaw, it has to be fit to your jaw. The inventor’s experience does not make us hopeful. He talked about exercising his jaw repeatedly when he was younger, but then suffering repeated jaw injuries. It seems likely that the jaw exercises weren’t helping him and may have been hurting.
So, before you start this type of exercise, it’s best to check with a neuromuscular dentist to see if it’s likely to be helpful or damaging.
Healthy Jaw Exercises
But if you are looking to condition your jaw muscles, there are some ways you can do that should be healthy for your muscles, joints, and teeth. The emphasis should be on giving your jaw muscles moderate resistance and avoiding extra pressure on the teeth whenever possible.
One popular approach is to put your thumb under your jaw and use it as a gentle resistance as you try to open your jaw. For resistance against closing your jaw, put your finger between your lower lip and teeth. Press against the front of your jaw as you try to close your jaw. Do a small number of reps for each exercise.
These exercises should be healthy and safe for your jaw. However, if you do have jaw problems, you might notice pain in your jaw muscles or joints after starting this routine. If you notice pain, jaw sounds like popping or clicking, or difficulty opening or closing your jaw, stop exercising right away and contact a dentist for treatment.
Although this tool does have some potential benefits, and may even be useful in the treatment of TMJ , it also has the potential to do some serious damage if not used properly. That’s why you should talk to a neuromuscular dentist before starting Facial Fitness Ball.
Attractive female working out a the gym. Just like exercise for your body there is now exercises for your jaw.
How Facial Fitness Ball Works
There’s not a lot of science behind the Facial Fitness Ball. It’s a piece of hard rubber, essentially, fitted with softer silicone bite parts that can be fitted in the same boil-and-bite fashion you’re used to for over-the-counter mouthguards. You are supposed to bite down on the Jawzrsize repeatedly, giving your jaw muscles a workout. The website claims the appliance gives up to 300 pounds of resistance, so it can give your bite a good workout.
The Claims of Facial Fitness Ball
As an exercise tool, not a medical treatment, the claims of the device have not had to be verified before the device went on the market. Therefore, the only evidence we have of its effectiveness is the testimonials supplied by the seller. In these testimonials, people claim many benefits from Facial Fitness Ball, including:
Improved facial appearance with greater bulk
Rejuvenated facial appearance–like a nonsurgical facelift
Relief from TMJ symptoms
Stronger neck muscles
Better jaw function
The basic claims of effectiveness from this device stems from the fact that when you’re working out your muscles, they will build up, which can make the skin more taut over time. It also stimulates blood flow to the area, which is claimed in a testimonial to help rejuvenate the skin and improve collagen production.
Stronger muscles, they claim, will help improve the function of your jaw and potentially protect you from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), or resolve symptoms.
Why Facial Fitness Ball Could Be Damaging
If your jaw is healthy, there is probably little harm in using Facial Fitness Ball. Although few foods require this kind of jaw strength to eat, there’s no reason why we couldn’t safely build up our jaw strength using a device like this. What the benefit of that would be is dubious, but it wouldn’t necessarily be harmful.
However, if your jaw isn’t in a healthy position, this exercise could be seriously damaging. If your jaw muscles are putting adverse strain on your jaw joints and teeth, the last thing you want to do is make those jaw muscles stronger.
If your jaw isn’t properly positioned, the exercise itself could be damaging to your jaw joint. Repeated applications of high levels of force could displace, damage, or wear the bone or cushioning cartilage in the jaw joints. A big concern is the fact that there’s little ability to customize the appliance for your bite. Just fitting it to your teeth is not enough. If you’re working your jaw, it has to be fit to your jaw. The inventor’s experience does not make us hopeful. He talked about exercising his jaw repeatedly when he was younger, but then suffering repeated jaw injuries. It seems likely that the jaw exercises weren’t helping him and may have been hurting.
So, before you start this type of exercise, it’s best to check with a neuromuscular dentist to see if it’s likely to be helpful or damaging.
Healthy Jaw Exercises
But if you are looking to condition your jaw muscles, there are some ways you can do that should be healthy for your muscles, joints, and teeth. The emphasis should be on giving your jaw muscles moderate resistance and avoiding extra pressure on the teeth whenever possible.
One popular approach is to put your thumb under your jaw and use it as a gentle resistance as you try to open your jaw. For resistance against closing your jaw, put your finger between your lower lip and teeth. Press against the front of your jaw as you try to close your jaw. Do a small number of reps for each exercise.
These exercises should be healthy and safe for your jaw. However, if you do have jaw problems, you might notice pain in your jaw muscles or joints after starting this routine. If you notice pain, jaw sounds like popping or clicking, or difficulty opening or closing your jaw, stop exercising right away and contact a dentist for treatment.