Tips to stop grinding your teeth
Follow these tips to help reduce your teeth grinding – and avoid spending thousands of dollars in dental repair.
Manage your stress
Since stress is a large factor in bruxism, take proactive measures to deal with your daily stressors. Whether it be exercise, 20 minutes of meditation, a weekly massage, journaling, changing your perception of stressful situations, or therapy, commit to incorporating one stress-reducing strategy every day.
Wear a nightguard
Though sleeping with something in your mouth may seem daunting, nightguards can alleviate grinding and resulting aches and pains – not to mention damage.
“The use of a dentist-made guard or an over the counter guard can help relax the muscles of the jaw and may help counteract the effects of bruxism. Over the counter muscle rubs for jaw pain can also help along with the guards,” suggests Dr Mehta.
Talk to your local pharmacist about the over the counter products and, if they aren’t effective, talk to your dentist about a tailor-made guard.
Do not eat or drink right before bed
According to Dr Mehta, even a bedtime snack like milk and cookies can aggravate bruxism in some people. He suggests not eating or drinking – particularly alcohol – late at night.
Relax your jaw muscles
Even if you feel like you are getting a good handle on your stress, your subconscious may still incite your jaw to clench. The website Bruxism101.com recommends relaxing your jaw throughout the day and make facial relaxation a habit. Set your watch or cell phone to beep every hour to check your facial tension and practice loosening your jaw.
Unwind before you go to bed
“Do not work right up to the time you go to sleep. Relaxing before falling asleep or doing specific relaxation exercises before bed will help lower the intensity or the frequency of bruxing,” Dr Mehta advises.
Give yourself a half hour or even an hour before falling asleep to put work or some other chronic stressor out of your mind. Take a long bath or do light yoga to loosen your mind and your body. And if the news tends to rile you or causes anxiety, don’t watch TV before hitting the hay.
Check your medications
Since a side effect of some medications is teeth grinding, Dr Mehta suggests that you talk to your doctor regarding your use of herbal medicines, vitamins, minerals or prescribed medications that may be contributing to your bruxing.
Do your research
Knowledge is power, so talk to your dentist about bruxism and read any materials he or she provides, and do your own investigating.
Visit the following websites for more information on bruxism and dental health:
- The National Institute of Dental Care and Research
- Dr Mehta’s knol on Google
- American Dental Association
- Bruxism101.com
More dental tips
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10 tips for a better smile
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