Healthy Living

Did You Know Teeth Grinding Is a Problem? Here’s How to Overcome It?

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If you grind your teeth during the day or at night, you are risking your dental health. You may find it natural to clench the teeth occasionally, but if you do it more often, it can lead to significant damage.

You may not know that you grind your teeth since it happens when you are asleep. However, if you have consistent cases of a sore jaw or tmj headaches, you may be suffering from teeth grinding.

Can you overcome teeth grinding?

Here are simple tips to help you overcome teeth grinding?

Use a Mouth Guard at Night

When you grind your teeth consistently, your enamel will wear out, making the teeth increasingly susceptible to cavities. If this problem occurs while asleep, it is recommendable to wear a nighttime mouth guard to keep the teeth effectively protected.

The next time you visit your local dentist, ask them to design a mouth guard for you. Customized guards are comfy so that they won’t affect your sleeping pattern at all.

Start Exercising

One of the significant causes of teeth grinding is stress. If you are stressed, the tension will manifest in your teeth grinding.

Exercising regularly is considered a great way to overcome stress. Adding several sweat sessions to your daily activities will help you release the tension that causes your teeth to grind.

Massage the Jaws

Any time you get faced with a stressful situation, your jaws are likely to clench up. If you consistently experience this, consider massaging your jaw muscles. Rub the jaws to release any tension that might have accumulated during the day.

You can also overcome teeth grinding by avoiding life stressors as much as possible. Learning to look and feel better even when you are not can help you avoid stress the entire day. This way, you won’t have to worry about teeth grinding at night.

Maintain a Relaxed Mood Before Bedtime

If you go to bed with a lot of tension, the chances are high that you will experience teeth grinding. Before you go to bed, ensure that you unwind all the pressure within your jaws.

Some of the common ways of doing this include having a warm bath before going to sleep, patting your jaws with a warm towel, or drinking non-carbonated or herbal tea to keep your mouth warm.

Don’t Chew Just Everything

If you chomp on chewing gum throughout the day, you are a candidate for teeth grinding. Avoid repetitive jaw motions that clench the jaws. Additionally, if you are a fan of chewy foods such as taffy, popcorn, and steak, it is high time you started avoiding them.

Start eating foods that don’t require much chewing, especially at night. This way, you will not strain the jaw muscles to the extent of experiencing teeth grinding.  

If you are a fan of chewy foods, or you don’t exercise despite engaging in stressful daily tasks, the chances are high you will suffer from teeth grinding. While teeth grinding can have adverse impacts on your dental health, you can avoid it by changing your everyday activities.

Be cautious of the foods you eat; start exercising, avoid tension during bedtime, use a mouth guard, and always massage the jaw muscles before sleeping.

Karla Urwitz
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One thought on “Did You Know Teeth Grinding Is a Problem? Here’s How to Overcome It?

  1. Ask your dentist about sealants. These can seal off grooves and nooks and crannies where food can become easily trapped. This will help in preventing tooth decay and other dental issues. Plus, sealants can last up to ten years with good dental care.

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