How to Stop Grinding Teeth at Night
December 15th, 2007 by Aaks
Grinding teeth at night or during the day (Bruxism) is very common and about one in three people suffer from some form of it. Most of the people who have this habit are not even aware of it until they get some signs and symptoms showing that it’s been there. Bruxism occurs when you clench or grind your teeth at night or during the day. With clenching, you tightly hold your top and bottom teeth together, especially the back teeth. It puts pressure on tissues, muscles, and other structures around your jaw and can lead to a lot of pain in the jaws, soreness, headaches, damaged teeth, earaches and other problems such as insomnia. The symptoms may also cause what is known as temporomandibular joint problems.
Teeth grinding involves sliding your teeth back and forth over each other. Obviously this can wear down your teeth and make them sensitive. Grinding sometimes can be noisy to the point of bothering and waking sleeping partners. As with clenching, grinding can lead to jaw pain and other problems. Many people grind their teeth subconsciously during both the day and night, but night bruxism is often the bigger problem because it is very hard to control.
For many people, daily stress is the main thing that triggers bruxing. There is no single cause that has been agreed upon. Some of the factors that may bring about this habit include the following:
- How Stressed You Are
- Whether Your Teeth Are Misaligned,
- How Long and Tightly You Clench and Grind,
- Posture,
- Ability to Relax,
- Diet,
- Sleeping Habits, And Other Factors.
Symptoms of teeth grinding at night or during the day may include:
- Abraded Teeth
- Facial Pain
- Oversensitive Teeth
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Anxiety
- Teeth Grinding and Clenching
- Stress and Tension
- Insomnia
- Depression
- And Eating Disorders
Treatment for bruxism often focuses on reducing pain and changing behaviors that lead to it such as being stressed and tense. Treatment may involve the use of facial relaxation techniques and stress management if the bruxing is linked to daily stress. The sufferer may also be advised to stop eating hard foods like nuts, candies and steak and to drink lots of water. There are a lot of other self-care steps that the they can take at home such as learning physical therapy stretching exercises and relaxation techniques. To prevent damage to the teeth, mouth guards or appliances called splints may be used. Approaches to try to help people change their clenching and teeth grinding behaviors are more successful for daytime clenching but less effective for night time clenching which cannot be consciously stopped. In some sufferers, just relaxing and modifying daytime behavior is enough to reduce and stop grinding teeth at night.
Click here for a comprehensive list of websites where you can find out about cures and treatments for Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) and TMJ: http://www.abouthealthtips.com/bruxism/ Online. Discover all-natural methods for eliminating Bruxism and TMJ permanently without using Medicines, Dental Implant, Surgery or Devices such as Teeth Grinding Mouth Guards. © Katie Johnson: http://www.abouthealthtips.com/
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