While you are sleeping, your mouth may be very active.
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\nBruxism is a condition where a person grinds or clenches his teeth\nunconsciously. It often occurs at night. Because of that, it can be\ndifficult to figure out on your own that you grind your teeth, but here are\nsome signs that could help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u2022A dull headache, more often in the morning
\n\u2022A sore jaw
\n\u2022Tooth sensitivity to heat, cold, or brushing.
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\nHow can you help yourself?
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\nReduce stress. Stress is one major cause of teeth grinding, so start with\nfiguring out how to handle your stress.
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\nMassages. Massage the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and face before you go\nto sleep. Use your fingers and palms to massage the sides of your head,\nforehead and jaw in calming circular motions.
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\n\u2013 Soak a washcloth in hot water and hold it against your cheek in front of your\nearlobe. This will help your muscles to relax and unclench.
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\nAvoid caffeine in the afternoon. Try not to drink coffee and energy drinks\nafter 4pm. Caffeine is a stimulant which will make it more difficult for\nyou to relax your mind and the muscles of your jaw, especially at night.
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\nAvoid alcohol. Though alcohol may make it easier for you to fall asleep, it\nwill make your sleep a less restful, which will increase your teeth grinding
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\nStop chewing on non-foods. Stop yourself from stress-related habits that have\nto do with your mouth. For example, if you tend to chew on pencils or pens when\nyou are stressed out, you should eliminate that habit. If this is particularly\nchallenging, you can chew gum or suck on a mint whenever you have the urge to\nchew on non-foods, and slowly wean yourself off of them.
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\nTrain yourself not to clench your jaw during the day. If you notice that your\njaw is tense or that your teeth are clench together, practice relaxing the jaw\nby placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
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\nAdd calcium and magnesium supplements to your diet. Calcium and magnesium are\nnecessary for proper muscle function and nervous system health.
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\nAsk your dentist for help.
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\nYour dentist will be able to examine your mouth and jaw for signs like:
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\n\u2022jaw tenderness,
\n\u2022worn-down teeth,
\n\u2022fractured crowns or fillings.
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\nIf your jaw or teeth are misaligned, your dentist will recommend treatment to\nbetter the fit of your teeth.
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\nDentists also recommend that you wear a mouth guard or splint at night to protect\nyour teeth from the wear and damage caused by grinding.
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\nMouth guards are made of hard acrylic or rubber material and fit over either\nyour upper or lower teeth. There can be custom-fitted by your dentist or can be\npurchased over the counter.Night Guard for Teeth Grinding Treatment
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\n\u2013 Over the counter can be less costly but tends to be soft and can dislodge\nduring teeth grinding.
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\n\u2013 A custom-made mouth guard will fit your teeth better and will create less\ndiscomfort. Many insurance dental plans now days cover Night Guard.
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\nYour dentist will be able to assess which treatments will work best for you\ndepending on the severity of your symptoms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While you are sleeping, your mouth may be very active. Bruxism is a condition where a person grinds or clenches his teeth unconsciously. It often occurs at night. Because of that, it can be difficult to figure out on your own that you grind your teeth, but here are some signs that could help. (Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-28","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n