Teeth grinding: suggestions to stop

We are all creatures of habit, every little thing we do is part of a routine of patterns that very much control us in some respects, and some habits can have serious consequences, such as teeth grinding. This usually occurs almost subconsciously, with many sufferers grinding their teeth during sleep. The longer this continues, the more chance that this will wear down the tooth enamel, or cause tooth loosening.

THE CAUSES

Bruxism, the medical term for teeth grinding, is often caused by stress and anxiety, and while we all grind our teeth from time to time, excessive teeth grinding is what causes damage. Some people are unaware that they grind their teeth and may suffer from sensitive teeth as a result. When you have your regular dental check-up, the dentist can usually spot the signs of bruxism.

POTENTIAL TREATMENTS

Once a person is aware that they grind their teeth, their dentist could provide them with a mouthguard, which is worn while sleeping. This device prevents teeth grinding. Perhaps the best approach is to try and relieve the stress that causes you to grind your teeth and this might be found with professional counseling, a change of lifestyle, or even meditation. As we are all unique, we all respond differently to stress relief, and trial and error is the best way forward – try listening to calming music, take long, hot baths, spend some ‘me-time’ doing what you love – which will reveal the best method to reduce stress levels.

STRESS RELIEF

Excessive teeth grinding may cause injuries which might lead to a tooth infection. In this case, you might even need a root canal treatment from a North Shore endodontics clinic. If they spot signs of bruxism, aside from treating the infection, the specialist will also recommend taking steps to reduce your stress levels. Here are just a few ways that people can reduce stress:

Attend yoga classes
Aromatherapy
Meditation
Take up a sport or hobby
Listening to music

Rather than just focusing on finding a way to protect the teeth, you should be looking at the cause. For the majority of people, stress is the cause, and once you have removed that, the bruxism ceases.

Here are a few tips to stop teeth grinding:

Avoid or reduce the consumption of anything that contains caffeine.
Avoid drinking alcohol, as this tends to make teeth grinding worse.
Avoid chewing anything that is not food; some people like to bite the end of a pencil or pen and this only further damages the teeth.
Apply warm flannels to the cheek muscles prior to sleep, which will have a calming effect on the jaw muscles, thus reducing the risk of teeth grinding.

If you think you might be grinding your teeth at night, search online for an endodontics clinic, and making an appointment will lead to discovering if teeth grinding is an issue.

Many people suffer from bruxism and if left unaddressed, this could cause many oral issues. If you suffer from this damaging habit, talk to an endodontics specialist and see what they have to say.