Looking For Teeth Grinding Solution ? Then Read This

Fingernails scratching a blackboard, a pneumatic drill and a rat gnawing through timbers. these are just some of the noises that have been used to explain teeth grinding. No wonder it can disrupt your sleep.

This habit, which can be as loud and disruptive as snoring, not only keeps your bed partner up half the night, it can mean you wake up with jaw ache or a splitting headache.

Teeth grinding – or bruxism if you want to get technical – is a condition where you either press, clench, or physically grind your teeth against each other. If you’re one of the 10% of adults who suffer this at night, there’s a chance you’re doing it in the day, too, but you’re not aware of it. Each episode of grinding lasts four to five seconds and happens about 25 times per night. If you or your partner are light sleepers, that’s a lot of potential awakenings.

More details on mouth guard for grinding teeth

WHAT CAUSES IT?
No one really knows why people get it. It might simply be a habit like biting your nails, drumming fingers or sucking the inside of your cheeks – in fact, many teeth grinders also have these quirks. The most likely trigger, however, is stress. You may well be stressed if you’re having difficulty concentrating, feeling more irritable than usual, you need a drink to relax or rely on comfort food. Because of this you could be finding it difficult to get to sleep or having fitful sleep.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
You may wake up with a headache, jaw ache or earache that goes away as the day wears on. These are all caused by joint and muscle strain in your upper and lower jaws. And if left untreated, the surface of your upper and lower teeth can be worn down so much it creates an imbalance in closure between the left and right sides of your mouth. Left untreated this can lead to serious gum disease and you may even lose some of your teeth.

WHO SPOTS IT?
Normally your long suffering partner or your dentist who should detect the characteristic wear on the teeth. Wear associated with grinding is proven to be most evident on the molars in the back of your mouth. Have a look yourself by opening your mouth and checking your teeth in the mirror. You’re a teeth grinder if your teeth are worn down on one side of your mouth or if the enamel that covers your teeth has worn down to reveal the slightly darker dentine beneath it.

HOW’S IT TREATED?
You need to tackle the cause – that means reducing stress – as well as stop the situation getting any worse – that means proper tooth care.

* Cut down on caffeine and alcohol – which make stress worse.
* Try out various relaxation therapies and see which one works for you. Meditation and body-calming activities like yoga seem to help reduce the stress that aggravates habitual grinding~Some meditation and body-calming activities such as yoga seem to help reduce the stress that aggravates habitual grinding}.
* To relax clenched muscles before you go to bed or in the morning, apply a warm face cloth to the side of your face.
* Visit your dentist who will suggest either a single treatment or combination of treatments. This might include muscle relaxants to relax your jaw muscles. If that doesn’t help you can be fitted with a special mouth guard which can fits on to the lower or upper jaw and is worn at night. This removable plastic device prevents teeth from getting close together, stopping further damage to your teeth. It may also stop the urge to grind. The idea is that it reprogrammes the part of your brain that controls movement, so that your jaw doesn’t receive the signal to start grinding. To treat the damage caused by more serious cases of grinding, your dentist may reshape your biting surfaces with crowns or inlays.