Bruxism: How to stop grinding teeth and more
If you've ever woken up to a sore jaw and sensitive teeth, you may be suffering from teeth grinding. Bruxism takes time to fix and can be a result of stress and anxiety. However, there are plenty of ways to improve your teeth grinding and stop any more damage from being done to your teeth. Here are a few of our own tips on how to stop grinding teeth.
Use a mouthguard
If you’re grinding your teeth more often in your sleep, a mouthguard is a great way to stop the damaging effects to your teeth. Chronic sufferers tend to have custom mouthguards or splints, which relax the strain on the jaw and put a buffer between the teeth. This lowering of pressure on the jaw also helps to decrease the noise of your teeth grinding. While they may not be as effective as custom made guards, a regular sports mouthguard will also help to soften the impact of your bruxism.
Mindfulness
If you’re stressed at work or struggling with anxiety, bruxism can be an unfortunate symptom. Practising mindfulness will not only lower your teeth grinding, it will boost your overall mental health too. Whether you join a yoga studio, practice meditation before bed or spend time relaxing in the bath, focusing on fixing your mind is the perfect way to stop your teeth from grinding. Winding down before you go to sleep should be your number one priority.
Dental check-ups
Alongside your standard dental appointments, talking to your dentist about your teeth grinding will present some helpful solutions. Our bruxism treatments range from custom mouthguards to tooth coloured fillings, with ceramic restorations available for more severe cases. All these treatments aim at either stopping the damaging effects on your teeth or working on your mouth gums to stop the grinding.
Cut out bad habits
Nobody’s innocent of those occasional bad habits. Whether you’re smoking, drinking or eating too many sugary foods, bad habits can have a significant impact on your bruxism. Alcohol especially can increase the rate and severity of grinding in your sleep. If you’re used to having a glass of wine or beer before bed, we suggest cutting down your consumption to help ease your bruxism.
Most people suffering from bruxism grind their teeth while sleeping, but some also grind subconsciously when awake. Whatever the reason for your grinding, use our top tips to lower the effects. If you’re struggling to deal with your bruxism, get in contact with us for a free consultation today.
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