Teeth grinding can lead to serious problems. Use these tips to try and alleviate the problem.
Has your partner complained about the way you grind your teeth when you go to sleep? Teeth grinding is the process of clenching your teeth when it is not chewing on anything. Known to dentists as bruxism, this condition can cause serious dental and oral damage when left untreated, including tooth fractures, tooth loss, jawbone damage, and even hearing loss. How do you reduce teeth grinding to help protect your dental health? Here are four methods that are proven to help.
1. Reducing Stress
Stress is the cause of teeth grinding in more than half of all cases. Usually, people grind their teeth in bed at night while they sleep because they are so stressed out. Take a look inward and determine the areas of your life that are causing you so much stress and eliminate them to help reduce teeth grinding. Of course, it sounds so simple until you actually try to do it, so consider therapy sessions and regular exercise to help you reduce your levels of stress.
2. Jaw Exercises
You can actually do some unique jaw exercises every night before bed to try and reduce teeth grinding as well. To do this, take a washcloth and dampen it with some warm water. Place it on your cheeks in front of the earlobes and leave for a few minutes. This helps relax the muscles in your jaw which can help you reduce teeth grinding when you sleep.
3. Abnormal Bite Correction
In some cases, a person’s tooth alignment may be the cause for unintentional teeth grinding. Dental surgery may be required to correct this alignment and solve the problem. Be sure to speak with your dentist and consult with them if you suspect this may be the case. Then, after a consultation, they will determine whether your tooth alignment needs to be corrected.
4. Wearing a Mouth Guard
If at-home remedies don’t work and bite correction is not needed, your dentist may recommend that you wear a mouth guard while you sleep. A custom formed mouth guard fits seamlessly inside your mouth to form a protective layer between your teeth and reducing the incidence and harmful effects of teeth grinding.
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Oral Care Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney Dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online. For more dental tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest.