About one in 10 adults grind their teeth while sleeping. Teeth grinding or bruxism can severely damage your teeth if left unchecked. It can lead to tooth enamel wear, cracked or chipped teeth, tooth sensitivity, painful or loose teeth, facial pain and even headaches. But don’t fret, we’re here to help!
If you tend to grind your teeth during your sleep, we’d like to recommend some remedies to help you reduce teeth grinding and alleviate your jaw pain.
About 70 per cent of those who suffer from teeth grinding do so because of stress or anxiety. We suggest ending the day by taking some time to wind down. There are many ways to do this, including taking a warm bath, watching your favourite movie or TV show, curling up with a book or playing games. Performing relaxing activities before bed can help your body release negative tension accumulated throughout the day. This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce teeth grinding.
If your teeth grinding is caused by stress, exercise releases endorphins that help decrease stress. While most forms of exercise will help treat teeth grinding in some way, yoga is found to be especially great at reducing the symptoms of inflammation associated with the condition.
Tobacco use as well as alcohol and coffee consumption can increase your risk of teeth grinding, especially if consumed before bed. If your teeth grinding is caused by these factors, limiting or stopping these could get rid of your teeth grinding altogether.
You can try to change the way you rest your tongue, teeth and lips to help prevent grinding. You can also learn how to rest the tongue upward to relieve jaw discomfort while keeping the teeth apart and lips closed.
Most of the time, splint therapy is the first line of defense against teeth grinding. It involves wearing a customized mouthguard that acts as a protective barrier. You can either purchase a generic mouthguard at your local drugstore or get a custom-made one from a dentist, which are much more comfortable.
Dental Image Therapy Centres can make a custom-fitted mouthguard to ensure your teeth are always protected. Be sure to visit us at Garden City Shopping Centre and St. Vital Centre for your custom-fitted mouthguard or if you have questions about teeth grinding. Book your appointment today.
Maybe it's time for your and your family's regular checkup and cleaning, you have a toothache or you need to get your treatment plan going - whatever the reason, we're here to help you get your confident smile. Whether you're a new patient or a returning friend, we can't wait to see you at your next appointment at either of our Winnipeg clinics!
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