Teeth grinding, also known as Bruxism, happens when a person grinds or clenches their teeth together—most of the time, it occurs at night without even realizing it. You may be dealing with bruxism if you’ve ever experienced the following symptoms:
Sore teeth
Earaches but no infection
Lasting facial pain
Tight jaw muscles
A headache upon waking
While bruxism can have harmful effects on your oral health, there are several easy and natural steps you can take to reduce teeth grinding in your life.
Beating Bruxism
Some of the best things that you can do to limit teeth grinding involve reducing stress. Here are a few steps you can take that don’t require medication or surgery.
Drink tea in the evening. A warm herbal or chamomile tea is great for calming anxiety or worry before bed. When you’re able to go to sleep relaxed, it can benefit those dealing with bruxism.
Exercise regularly. Keeping your body in a routine and active can help it stay working properly and relieve stress. When your stress levels are under control, teeth grinding can often subside.
Take a warm shower or bath before slumber. This can help limit tension in your body, which can play a part in relaxing your muscles—especially those near your jaw.
If you continue to have problems with teeth grinding, consider wearing a mouth guard during sleep to limit the effects on your teeth. For more information on solutions that could help you, be sure to ask us at your next appointment.