How many of you have been told by your spouse, or sleep partner that you grind your teeth in your sleep? How many times have you woken with a dull aching headache and sore jaw and wondered why?
Like millions of others, you are likely suffering from teeth grinding, or Bruxism. While most of us grind our teeth occasionally, this is not a major concern.
The problem is that most people who grind their teeth do it while sleeping and don’t realize it.
It’s not until one wakes with the above mentioned headache or sore jaw that realization sets in. For some, only a dentist examining the whittling effects on the teeth or someone hearing the person grinding in his or her sleep notifies the person of what he or she is doing.
Why is this a problem? For many with chronic Bruxism, they will eventually grind their teeth down or fracture them to the point that they need crowns, bridges or even dentures.
Additionally, constant grinding can lead to TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). This is a disorder in which the joint connecting the jaw gets out of alignment, causing progressively severe pain and difficulty chewing and sometimes even swallowing.
For some, teeth grinding occurs as a result of an abnormal bite. Your doctor can determine if tooth mis-alignment is the cause and will take steps to correct this. Your dentist will also likely prescribe a custom-made tooth guard to protect your teeth.
For many, the cause of teeth grinding is stress, pure and simple. I know of one client who has to wear her bite guard in traffic just because her stress level is so high and she grinds her teeth (even though awake) without realizing it.
While a tooth guard is a good short term fix for tooth grinding, even if stress induced, the more attractive solution would be to find a way not to grind one’s teeth.
While this may seem impossible, given that most grind their teeth when they don’t realize it, it is possible.
Some simple tips to help include: positioning your tongue in between your teeth to avoid grinding (for daytime grinders), avoiding alcohol, limiting caffeine, and not chewing on anything that isn’t food, including gum. When getting ready to fall asleep remember, “mouth closed, teeth open.”
While the above mentioned tips will help, a plan to remove the stress causing Bruxism is key. This is why I recommend my TMJ No More program. It’s an all natural program designed to reduce stress and works not only for TMJ disorder but also for teeth grinding. Try it – it’s amazing!
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