Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) & How to Overcome It

Maintaining oral health is not just about brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. Sometimes, unconscious habits such as bruxism can also destroy the structure of teeth. Bruxism is a habit that involves grinding of the teeth. This often occurs during times of excessive anxiety, stress, anger, and other negative emotions. However, if a person does it continuously, it can certainly be damaging. 

If you are experiencing this, or if you know someone else who is, read this article to give you tips on how to stop this negative habit. 

Self-Awareness
Habitual teeth-grinding is commonly experienced at night, but it can also occur during daytime. If you are the person experiencing it, you should practice self-awareness by concentrating on what your body is doing. The moment you start to notice your jaw clenching, make an effort to relax it. You can do this by placing the tip of your tongue between the upper and lower part of your front teeth to fight the tooth-grinding urge. Self-preservation should prevent clamping down on your tongue. This will also force your jaws to relax. 

Relaxation
Experts agree that stress is one of the risk factors of bruxism. If you are feeling stressed out, it is best to take up a relaxing hobby or come up with a healthy routine such as yoga classes or exercise. It will be helpful to learn how to meditate even for small periods at a time, especially when you have stressful moments throughout the day. It is important that you find seclusion to calm your mind and to be able to relieve the day’s stress. 

Proper Equipment
There are times when a person suffering from bruxism (teeth grinding) cannot be self-aware because it occurs while sleeping. You can still protect yourself at night by having Dr. Lean fit you with a custom sleep guard. This is similar to a sports mouth guard. The only difference is wearing this at night to keep your teeth separated while you sleep. This will serve as a barrier that prevents your teeth from scraping across each other. This helps in preventing dental damage associated with bruxism. 

Lifestyle Change
Teeth grinding might worsen after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or stress. More disturbed sleep means less rest and the more nocturnal activity you have, the more your teeth grinding would manifest. You should also stay away from chewing gum often. Chewing gum or pen lids might make your jaws used to clamping. 

Dr. Lean and the team are dedicated to address conditions such as this. Contact us today if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or if someone you love is.