Has your jaw ever felt sore and tight when you first woke up in the morning? Together with one in ten people who grind their teeth at night, you can be a victim of bruxism, sometimes referred to as tooth clenching.
The condition known as bruxism is typified by unintentional clenching or grinding of the teeth, which can happen day or night. Wearing down tooth enamel, flattened or otherwise damaged teeth, and jaw, neck, or facial pain are some of the symptoms. Even though clenching your teeth is usually harmless and doesn't need to be treated, it can cause migraines, chipped or broken teeth, and damage to your dental work.
In addition, clenching your teeth can make you more susceptible to jaw diseases including lock-jaw or temporomandibular joint issues (TMJ disorders). Jaw joints and facial muscles hurt when someone has TMJ issues.
While sleep apnea and malocclusion (abnormal dental alignment) can result in clenching of the teeth, the primary causes of this disorder are stress and worry. In actuality, stress is the cause of bruxism in about 70% of instances.
Eating late at night, especially when it involves carbohydrates and sweets, is another known cause of clenched teeth. Alcohol consumption at night may also be a factor in clenching teeth.
Thankfully, you can restrict this with a determined effort. One of the primary causes of dental implant failure is teeth clenching; prevent this from happening to your teeth and dental treatment by implementing one or more of the following strategies:
Eating earlier in the day can reduce nocturnal clenching in addition to lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of obesity.
Daily exercise can prevent bruxism caused by stress and alleviate stress.
Yoga has been shown in studies to enhance mental health and lower stress and anxiety.
The chance of teeth grinding at night increases when sugary foods are consumed before bed. Reduce the number of sweet meals you eat, and stay away from crunchy items like pretzels and hard candies.
See your dentist about obtaining a mouth guard if you continue to experience problems with grinding your teeth. Seeking assistance is preferable to allowing tooth grinding to harm your teeth and dental restorations.
Protect your smile from the effects of teeth grinding with expert care at Dynamic Dental Wellness. Whether you’re dealing with jaw pain, damaged teeth, or TMJ discomfort, our team is here to provide personalized solutions like custom mouth guards and holistic treatments to ease your symptoms. Take the first step toward lasting relief—call us today at 703-775-0002 or visit dynamicdentalwellness.com to schedule your consultation. Your wellness is our priority!
We provide total dentistry and sleep/airway wellness, complete prevention plans, craniofacial analysis, cancer and disease screening and treatment, laser bacteria and virus elimination, implants, gum recession treatment and more.