Greetings!
If you wake up with a sore jaw/teeth or headaches in the morning or you catch yourself grinding/clenching during the day then you are most probably grinding in your sleep. You may not even know that you are grinding in deep sleep! Many times your dentist can check your teeth and tell you if you've been grinding.
If stress is causing you to grind your teeth, ask your doctor or dentist about options to reduce your stress. There are a number of steps you can take to prevent teeth grinding. Attending stress counseling, exercising (from my own personal experience yoga is very effective), seeing a physical therapist, or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants (this is an option but I would prefer to fix grinding without medication), orthodontics are among some of the options that may be offered. Additionally, your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. Mouth guards are coverings worn over teeth, and often used to protect teeth from injury from teeth grinding and during sports. Behavioral Modifications for Teeth GrindingTips to help prevent teeth grinding include: - Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
- Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.
- Do not chew on pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
- Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
- Relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.
Please don't hesitate to email me any questions you may have.
Best regards,
Dr. Nazarian
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