Have you ever been told that you grind your teeth while sleeping?
Ideally, teeth should be touching each other when chewing food, and unnatural grindings could cause tooth wear and cracking. When you are told that you are grinding your teeth while sleeping, it’s advisable to visit your dentist at his dental clinic in QC before it’s too late and you have lost teeth.
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a condition that affects millions of children and adults. MedicineNet.com reported that there are 50% - 95% of adults suffering from this kind of condition and approximately 15% in children. It involves forceful contact of the teeth, either in silence or with loud sound.
Bruxism is also associated with sleeping disorders in which psychological stress is believed to be one of its major causes. Teeth misalignment is said to also worsen the condition. Since it usually happens during sleep, the conscious brain doesn’t have direct control of the situation when the jaw exerts a force greater than regular chewing. However, no matter what its cause is, bruxism could severely affect oral health over a long period of time.
While the causes of bruxism remain imprecise, its effects to oral health could not just be ignored. Grinding, gnashing and clenching of the teeth causes tooth pain, aching jaws, jaw joint disorders, and teeth fracturing. Also, when teeth grinding becomes frequent, tooth enamel is being removed and, in more severe cases, the dentin is exposed. Consequently, teeth become sensitive.
However, there are things you could do to help yourself out if you are experiencing teeth grinding.
Lessening tooth pain and soreness
Massage is one of the first things you could do to alleviate the pain you’re having with bruxism. It includes massaging the jaw, neck and face. This helps in relaxing the jaw. So what is the perfect spot for a jaw massage? Well, reach for your masseter muscle; this will help calm your jaw.
There are also some exercises you could do. First is the tongue exercise – you need to keep your tongue close to your front teeth. This is suggested for people experiencing daytime bruxism and helps in the prevention of jaw clenching. Keep your teeth apart—this exercise helps the jaw relax. Yawn a few times—this is also one of the helpful exercises to do in keeping the jaw relaxed. When you are feeling that your jaw is contracting or cramping, take some time to yawn to stretch the muscle. Another one is warm compress.
To relieve the pain you’re feeling, soak a face towel in warm water and press it on your jaw points. The best time to do this is before bed; put the warm and wet face towel on areas of your face that normally hurts in the morning. Shoulder exercise—move your shoulders upwards, then continue by rolling it backward. Keep a circular motion with this exercise, and do it one shoulder at a time until your shoulders feel more relaxed.
Reducing symptoms
Since, stress is one of the main causes of bruxism, it’s important to lessen your stress. Do the things that will make you happy. Go outside and relax! Then, drink a lot of water; this will keep you hydrated every time. Get more sleep. Lessen or avoid alcohol and caffeine—alcohol increases the urge to clench and coffee makes you jumpy and more nervous.
Consult your dentist
It is the most important thing you need to consider before doing any one of the things mention above. Talk to your dentist at his dental clinic in QC. He will make things clear to you and could help you pick the right exercise or treatment for your bruxism.
So, if ever your family notices your teeth grinding especially when you sleep, don’t ignore it. You can vist DENTAL WORLD MANILA and start saving your teeth!
Ideally, teeth should be touching each other when chewing food, and unnatural grindings could cause tooth wear and cracking. When you are told that you are grinding your teeth while sleeping, it’s advisable to visit your dentist at his dental clinic in QC before it’s too late and you have lost teeth.
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a condition that affects millions of children and adults. MedicineNet.com reported that there are 50% - 95% of adults suffering from this kind of condition and approximately 15% in children. It involves forceful contact of the teeth, either in silence or with loud sound.
Bruxism is also associated with sleeping disorders in which psychological stress is believed to be one of its major causes. Teeth misalignment is said to also worsen the condition. Since it usually happens during sleep, the conscious brain doesn’t have direct control of the situation when the jaw exerts a force greater than regular chewing. However, no matter what its cause is, bruxism could severely affect oral health over a long period of time.
While the causes of bruxism remain imprecise, its effects to oral health could not just be ignored. Grinding, gnashing and clenching of the teeth causes tooth pain, aching jaws, jaw joint disorders, and teeth fracturing. Also, when teeth grinding becomes frequent, tooth enamel is being removed and, in more severe cases, the dentin is exposed. Consequently, teeth become sensitive.
However, there are things you could do to help yourself out if you are experiencing teeth grinding.
Lessening tooth pain and soreness
Massage is one of the first things you could do to alleviate the pain you’re having with bruxism. It includes massaging the jaw, neck and face. This helps in relaxing the jaw. So what is the perfect spot for a jaw massage? Well, reach for your masseter muscle; this will help calm your jaw.
There are also some exercises you could do. First is the tongue exercise – you need to keep your tongue close to your front teeth. This is suggested for people experiencing daytime bruxism and helps in the prevention of jaw clenching. Keep your teeth apart—this exercise helps the jaw relax. Yawn a few times—this is also one of the helpful exercises to do in keeping the jaw relaxed. When you are feeling that your jaw is contracting or cramping, take some time to yawn to stretch the muscle. Another one is warm compress.
To relieve the pain you’re feeling, soak a face towel in warm water and press it on your jaw points. The best time to do this is before bed; put the warm and wet face towel on areas of your face that normally hurts in the morning. Shoulder exercise—move your shoulders upwards, then continue by rolling it backward. Keep a circular motion with this exercise, and do it one shoulder at a time until your shoulders feel more relaxed.
Reducing symptoms
Since, stress is one of the main causes of bruxism, it’s important to lessen your stress. Do the things that will make you happy. Go outside and relax! Then, drink a lot of water; this will keep you hydrated every time. Get more sleep. Lessen or avoid alcohol and caffeine—alcohol increases the urge to clench and coffee makes you jumpy and more nervous.
Consult your dentist
It is the most important thing you need to consider before doing any one of the things mention above. Talk to your dentist at his dental clinic in QC. He will make things clear to you and could help you pick the right exercise or treatment for your bruxism.
So, if ever your family notices your teeth grinding especially when you sleep, don’t ignore it. You can vist DENTAL WORLD MANILA and start saving your teeth!