How To Stop Teeth Grinding

Clenching or grinding one’s teeth is a perfectly natural thing to do, and for the majority of the population, it isn’t an issue, yet for some unfortunate people, teeth grinding is a problem. If left unattended, grinding your teeth will lead to serious erosion of the tooth enamel, which will lead to more serious issues.

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding, which can be caused in several ways - incorrect jaw alignment, stress, or a medical condition are all common reasons for teeth grinding.

Forge New Habits

Grinding your teeth is a habit that can be changed, and once you are aware that you are doing it, you can make conscious decisions to relax the jaw muscle when the grinding begins.  A major cause of teeth grindings is stress, which can make a person clench their jaw, and with constant practice, you can forge a new routine that doesn’t include clenching your jaw. Taking a hot bath before bed is said to help relax the facial muscles, or perhaps listening to some soothing music before bed will help you to relax.

Potential Treatments

Wearing a specially designed mouthguard can help to prevent contact between the upper and lower teeth. You can find with Sailors Bay Dentistry the North Shore‌‌ dentist you can trust who can recommend to you a suitable mouthguard that can be one way to minimise damage to the teeth. The guard is typically made from acrylic or plastic and fits neatly over the teeth, and while this might not address the issue of teeth grinding, it does prevent excess damage. When sleeping, a person can grind their teeth continuously and if this happens every night, the amount of wear is considerable.

Psychiatric Help

If stress is the cause of the tooth grinding, it might be best to address the reasons and talk about it with a qualified psychiatrist. Rather than focusing on the action of teeth grinding, discovering the underlying cause will result in the habit ceasing to be a problem, and this is the most effective way to approach the problem if anxiety is the cause.

Facial Massage

Once you have learned how to effectively massage the jaw muscles, this can become a daily activity, which would likely lead to a reduction of teeth grinding. Using certain creams might also help and by trial and error, you should be able to find a method that works for you.

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Avoiding alcohol and caffeine is likely to help with teeth grinding, as both substances stimulate and this can lead to an increase in the teeth grinding activity. If you have recently become aware that you subconsciously grind your teeth, make an appointment with your local dentist, who can diagnose the reason and offer a remedy.

For many people, teeth grinding only occurs when asleep and a person may not be aware that they are grinding their teeth. If you suspect this might be the case, ask your dentist to look for signs of bruxism, which should be apparent to the professional eye. Once you are aware of the fact, you can then look into the possible causes and take appropriate action.