Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a dental issue that thousands of people sufferfrom. The majority ofpeople find that teeth grinding occurs at night whilst sleeping but insome cases, people find themselves consistently grinding and clenching their jaw whileawake. Subconsciously grinding your teeth can cause a wide range of dental problems whichis whytoday we’d thought we’d break down some simple ways to help stop teeth grinding.
Causes of Teeth Grinding
To break it down, teeth grinding is involuntarily clenching and grinding your jaw causing your teeth to rub together. This can be a result of several factors including:
- Stress
- Concentration
- Age
- Medications
- Medical issues
- Family history
- Dental decay or infection
- Sleep apnoea
Symptoms of Teeth Grinding
As teeth grinding commonly occurs at night whilst asleep, you may not even be aware that you do it. There are various symptoms that suggest you may be grinding your teeth which include:
- Headaches that feel like they’re caused by tension
- Sore jaw joints
- Ear pain
- Aching teeth, especially just after waking up
- Aching face/temples immediately are waking
- Stiffness in the jaw when chewing, particularly in the morning
- Clenching the jaw when stressed, concentrating, or angry
- Teeth sensitivity to temperatures
- Cracked or chipped tooth enamel
- Tooth indentations on your tongue
If you’re suffering from any of these symptoms, it’s best to book an appointment with your dentist. From here they will be able to assess you and determine a personalised treatment plan tailored to your individual needs.
Let’s break down some of the treatment options to alleviate teeth grinding.
- Nightguards and Splints
A specific type of mouthguard can be a simple way to treat teeth grinding at night time. These mouthguards are called occlusal splints and are specifically designed to be worn at night to help prevent damage to the teeth caused by clenching and grinding the jaw. You can have a mouthguard custom-made at your dentist to ensure it fits correctly for maximum comfort.
Not only are these nightguards fantastic at protecting your teeth if you suffer from chronic bruxism, but they will also take some of the pressure off your jaw relieving pain.
These mouthguards come in a range of different thicknesses, depending on your individual needs identified by your dentist. It is important to have a night guard professionally fitted to your teeth, as over the counter nightguards will worsen the problem and can cause teeth to move over time. So, to ensure proper long-term care of your teeth, be sure to book an appointment with your dentist to fabricate a night splint.
- Muscle-relaxing Injections
Over the years research has found evidence that Muscle-relaxing injections used to primarily treat fine lines and wrinkles have also proven effective for teeth grinding. By injecting muscles around the jaw, it blocks the signal between the muscles and the brain, allowing them to relax. Over time, the size of the muscle shrinks and therefore the pressure on the jaw and teeth reduces. This also provides a slimming effect aesthetically – what an added bonus!
At Mermaid Smiles we are proud to be able to offer this treatment to our patients who suffer from teeth grinding. This treatment can last upwards of three months, depending on your metabolism, but if not, you only require a minor top-up when the injections begin to wear off. You can find more information about our anti-grinding injections here.
- Stress-Reduction
Now that we’ve gone through the most popular in-clinic treatments we offer at Mermaid Smiles, we’d thought we would break down some other techniques that may help minimise your teeth grinding. In some cases, teeth grinding can be caused by stress. There are various methods to help reduce the stress that may also result in the elimination of teeth grinding. Depending on individual needs, you can try:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Exercising
- Talking to a professional
If you’re unsure whether you’re suffering from chronic teeth grinding or if it may be stress-induced, organise a visit with our team today so we can help you get to the bottom of the cause.
Leave teeth grinding in the past!
Although teeth grinding can cause a range of uncomfortable issues, the good thing is that it is easy to manage. Our team of professionals at Mermaid Smiles is ready to assist you today, making teeth grinding a part of your past once and for all. We have a range of different treatments options that we can tailor to your specific case ensuring you get the best results with us every time.
Take the first step today by reaching out to our team to make your appointment.
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