Do you have pain in your jaw or neck?
Suffer from headaches?
Experience chronic mouth challenges like loosening or fracturing of the teeth?
If you said “yes” to any of these, you may experience teeth grinding which is also known as bruxism.
Occasional teeth grinding—whether awake or asleep—is normal from time to time, especially during times of stress or anxiety.
However, chronic teeth grinding can be harmful to your oral and general health, but it doesn’t have to be.
Thanks to modern dentistry and even some ancient practices you have plenty of options and tips to stop grinding teeth.
6 TIPS TO STOP GRINDING TEETH
SEE A DENTIST
The first step is to seek a consultation with a dentist.
Even if you suspect teeth grinding is the culprit to head and neck pain, a dentist will help decipher if any other health challenges like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) could also be contributing.
MOUTHGUARDS
A mouth guard for teeth grinding is a quick and easy tip, to begin with for relief.
You can choose a custom-made mouthguard that your dentist recommends or purchase one over the counter to start with.
If grinding teeth in sleep is a concern, a mouthguard can protect you from further damage and lessen jaw strain.
MOUTH EXERCISES
To aid in proper jaw alignment and release the tension you can do at-home mouth exercises. In some cases, a physical therapist is also recommended.
At-Home Mouth Exercises:
• For jaw relaxation touch the tongue to the front teeth while opening your mouth.
• To avoid clenching teeth repeat the letter “N” aloud.
• Bonus exercise: a gentle massage around the jaw area.
STRESS & ANXIETY REDUCTION
Daily life has stressors we deal with consciously or unconsciously. And teeth grinding is one way many people handle stress and anxiety.
Thankfully there are techniques—even ancient ones like yoga—that can help.
Other ones include meditation, better sleep hygiene, biofeedback, therapy, and even exercise.
MASSAGE
Massage therapy can be a major benefit in tension relief.
Whether you want to gently massage your head and neck area or seek a professional massage therapist—this option can support relaxation of the head and neck muscles.
BOTOX
Botox isn’t just for wrinkles and that furrow between your eyebrows!
A small injection of Botox (botulinum toxin) into the masseter (a muscle that moves the jaw) may help relax this muscle and support headache relief from teeth grinding.
A discussion with your dentist is the best place to start to find out if Botox is right for you.
Teeth grinding can be something we do fully aware like when we’re in a stressful situation, or completely unconscious when we’re sleeping and chasing butterflies in our dreams.
However teeth grinding appears in your life, know that you can seek assistance from your dentist as well as these tips to help reduce pain and ease tension!
Think you suffer from teeth grinding?
We’d love to help you find out and create a dental plan that’s right for you.
Contact Integrity Dental in Pueblo, CO today to get started!