Most people likely often clench and grind their teeth. Although occasional teeth grinding, or bruxism as it is known medically, usually has no adverse effects, chronic teeth grinding can harm teeth and lead to other issues with oral health. Many people usually don’t realize that they grind their teeth as it happens while they are generally asleep.
If you have bruxism, you can take some treatments to stop it. Some methods may be more successful than others, depending on the underlying cause and symptoms of your teeth grinding. A dentist in tupelo can assist you in determining the most effective bruxism treatment.
What is Teeth Grinding?
Bruxism is the term used to describe a condition of teeth grinding, gnashing, or clenching. If someone is diagnosed with this condition, they clench or grind their teeth accidentally when awake or occasionally while they sleep. Sleep bruxism is a movement disorder connected to sleep. Snoring and breathing pauses are more common in people who clench or grind their teeth in sleep at night.
Signs:
Different bruxism signs and symptoms may include:
- worn-down teeth
- teeth with cracks or chips
- a facial ache
- tensed muscles in the face and jaw
- Headaches
- clenching of the teeth
- an issue with the temporomandibular joint popping or clicking (TMJ)
The signs of bruxism can resemble those of other illnesses or disorders. For a diagnosis and treatment, consult your dentist or other healthcare professional.
What Causes Teeth Grinding?
Although anxiety and pressure can cause teeth grinding, it usually happens when you sleep and is more frequently due to an uneven bite, missing or misplaced teeth, or a combination of these. A sleep disorder like sleep apnea may potentially be the cause.
How to Stop Grinding Your Teeth?
Here are different options on how to fix it:
Change in Lifestyle
Coffee, alcohol, tobacco, and medications for anxiety and depression are just a few of the substances and chemicals that can have the side effect of bruxism. By cutting back on or restricting your usage of these substances, you might be able to quit grinding your teeth.
Stress Management
Anxiety and worry are the major causes of approximately 70% of bruxism cases. It is possible to stop grinding your teeth by using relaxation techniques like meditation, talking to a therapist, and exercising.
Wearing a Mouth Guard
You can prevent cavitation that develops due to bruxism with the help of a mouth guard for grinding teeth. Thankfully, sleeping with a mouth guard will keep your teeth safe. Your dentist can provide a customized mouth guard that protects your teeth all night. Compared to store-bought, one-size-fits-all guards that might not fit as firmly, a personalized guard will be more comfortable. One of the incredible ways to prevent sleep bruxism is to use a mouth guard at night.
Exercises
Jaw exercises such as stretching, massage, and applying hot packs to the jaw can all assist to relax the jaw muscles and stop the jaw from clenching at night.
Botox Injection
By relaxing the muscles and preventing unintentional jaw clenching and teeth grinding, Botox injections into the masseter muscles of the jaw can help. Since it works better than other techniques like mouth guards, this treatment is helpful in more severe cases of bruxism.
A Final Word
This is a common issue among people for many different possible causes. There are many possible treatments for it that you can choose to get rid of. Your dentist and physician can both assist you in recognizing and treating bruxism.