Teeth Grinding: Mouth Guards and How to Stop
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a common habit that does a lot of damage to teeth. Not only does tooth grinding wear away the tooth enamel and cause teeth to crumble and break, it also wears away at the joint where your lower jaw hinges onto your upper one.
Most people who grind their teeth do so when they’re asleep. Many folks only find out that they have this habit because a sleeping partner noticed it, a dentist picked up the signs of wear, or they wake up with an aching and swollen jaw.
What’s to be done?
First, Protect Your Teeth
Damage limitation is the first step in treating bruxism. A custom-made mouth guard fits lightly over your teeth and protects them while you sleep. Some variations, termed splints, also reposition the jaw slightly.
Although we’ve heard from patients who think they’re grinding their teeth less now that they use a mouth guard, most people still continue clenching or grinding their teeth at night. Mouth guards are primarily used to limit damage.
How Can You stop Grinding Your Teeth?
Although dentists at Green Apple Dental and doctors would love to come up with an easy and effective solution for tooth grinding, a lot of the possible strategies for stopping are down to you. In very severe cases, doctors sometimes prescribe a muscle relaxant, but medication isn’t a long-term solution.
We can’t say which of these strategies will work for you, but here’s a list of things to try.
Change your sleep position: If you sleep on your tummy or your side, try sleeping on your back instead. Give your neck good support and don’t let your chin crunch up onto your chest. In this sleep position, grinding your teeth becomes harder to do, and nobody likes hard work when they’re sleeping!
Check your meds: If you’re using an antidepressant, tooth grinding could be a side-effect of your medication. Check with your doctor and see if switching up your meds might help.
Destress: Although the exact causes of bruxism are under debate, most people agree that stress is a big contributing factor. Get some healthy exercise, do something you really enjoy, or just spend some time quietly meditating before bedtime.
Quit using cigarettes, alcohol, or recreational drugs: All three of these are unhealthy lifestyle choices, and they’re also known to aggravate bruxism. Some recreational drugs cause teeth clenching even when you’re awake.
Avoid caffeine: If you drink coffee before bedtime or love a late-night slab of chocolate, the caffeine could be aggravating your bruxism. Avoid any caffeine-containing foods or drinks, especially in the evenings.
Encourage your jaw to relax: Soothe and ease your jaw muscles with a light massage or use a warm facecloth to help your jaw muscles relax before you go to sleep. During the day, be alert to tension in your jaw and try to make relaxing it the new habit you cultivate.
Try CBT or Hypnotherapy: Breaking habits is hard, and a little help could be in order. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a trained psychologist or hypnotherapy (not to be confused with stage tricks) might help you to break the habit.
You CAN Stop Grinding Your Teeth – But You Do Need a Mouthguard
If you’re a habitual tooth grinder, there’s good news. Habits can be broken, and a great many people stop grinding their teeth on their own. But while you’re gnashing away at night, you’re damaging your teeth, and that damage is permanent.
Be sure to visit your dentist for a custom-made mouthguard. A modern mouthguard is comfortable, not at all bulky, and it will help to prevent much of the harm that comes from tooth grinding.
