Want to know how to stop teeth grinding at night? Start Doing Yoga.
How do I stop my teeth grinding at night?
Let’s skip straight to it. The generally agreed upon short answer to the question “how do I stop teeth grinding at night” is that it is very difficult to stop or control this involuntary habit that occurs in your sleep.
Over the course of your life you may go through some periods where you grind your teeth– maybe severely, maybe just moderately.
That does not mean that you should give up and quit trying to cure your bruxism. There are plenty of things you can do to combat the severity of teeth grinding. Stress is believed to be a dominant factor. If we can reduce the stress in our lives, we can, in parallel, reduce the stress driven force that is behind the urge to grind or clench.
What do we know about the “cause” of teeth grinding?
Bruxism is classified as a sleep disorder and there’s still a lot of debate about its exact causes.
The truth is, dentists and researchers are still not exactly sure about what causes the habit of grinding or clenching teeth as much as the effects of the disorder.
Some things we DO know:
Contrary to popular belief, your bite doesn’t effect whether or not you grind your teeth. In other words, it doesn’t matter if your teeth fit together perfectly or not.
If you do grind, it only happens in short bursts; it’s not happening all night. Each instance may only last from 30 seconds to a minute. Even if you sleep with your mouth open 90% of the night, you still grind the heck out of your teeth during the remaining 10%.
You can clench up to 130% harder at night than during the day, because your protective reflexes are switched off.
Clenching and grinding aren’t really the same thing: Teeth Clenching: the teeth squeeze so tight that they can’t move. These patients typically do little damage to their teeth, but have much worse pain. Teeth Grinding: the teeth still squeeze hard, but not so hard that they can’t move around. These patients tend to do a lot more damage to their teeth, but actually experience less pain. Some people do a mix of both.
Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body – 15% harder than your bones. To wear your enamel flat in a lot of places it takes a lot of force, a lot of times, over a long time period. You can’t wear out your enamel from moderate bruxism in just a couple of months.
Acidic foods (sodas, etc) weaken your enamel and make it easier for it to wear down during bruxism. It’s like a multiplier from negative bruxism effects on the teeth.
Stress seems to play a dominant role in the severity of bruxism. Make steps to create a calmer, more peaceful day-to-day environment.
The damage caused from teeth grinding can be downright scary.
Choosing not to wear a device at night that will protect your teeth could mean a world of very expensive trouble down the road.
It’s no secret that the dentist is expensive! Major restorative procedures are something most people tend to dread and avoid.
We do understand and sleeping with a plastic object in your mouth takes time to get used to. But you can get used to wearing it after a week or so. This is why we offer variable thickness choices so that you can choose which dental night guard thickness is right for you.
Can’t tolerate a thick durable night guard in your mouth? No problem! Choose a 1mm or 2mm thin style that snaps into place. It is hardly noticeable and very easy to sleep with.
Choosing to wear a night guard is choosing to take the proper measurements to prevent long term damaging effects. The good news is, we’re good at what we do! Even our most durable night guards (3mm+) are heavy duty, yet slim (so much better than anything store bought and even superior to some dental office made guards).
Comfort is our top priority. Sentinel guards fit over your exact dental anatomy for the most comfortable fit.
Pinpointing an exact cause of teeth grinding has proven to be quite difficult and the proposed reasons range so widely that it is confusing at best.
Though we don’t have all the answers, we do know that wearing a custom night guard is entirely beneficial. This fact can be agreed upon (almost universally) by dentists and researchers.
The night guard appliance will break up that direct tooth on tooth contact instead of letting teeth grind against each other, causing TMJ tooth, neck, and jaw pain – and in some instances abscesses.
In regard to abscesses: continuous bruxing on a particular tooth can irritate the periodontal membrane and cause it to thicken over time.
When this happens, the tooth sits higher up (micromillimeters higher) in the jaw, causing you to keep ‘hitting it’ when you grind, thus irritating it even more (and eventually leading to a root canal, a.k.a. more dentist expenses).
Reducing stress to help stop bruxism
When trying to reduce stress in your life, think about your daily habits.
Starting from when you first wake up. What do you so?
Caffeine reduction, fitting exercise into your schedule, eating healthier, quitting smoking/alcohol consumption, and removing the negative from your life can lighten your physical and mental loads significantly.
How do we reduce stress?
Stress is an almost unavoidable part of life.
According to the latest ADAA survey on anxiety and stress disorders, 3 in 5 US adults say they experience anxiety or stress every day. Most say the stress, at the very least, interferes with their lives moderately.
When people were surveyed by the American Psychological Association in 2009, more of them reported emotional and physical symptoms as a result of stress than they did in 2008, and, almost half reported that their stress had gone up in that past year.
It is almost impossible to get rid of stress, but you can learn how to manage it, and most people normally do.
In a recent ADAA poll, some 15% of people use physical exercise to cope with stress. Others reported turning over to family or friends (20%), sleeping (19%), watching TV or movies (16%), as well as listening to music (17%) and eating (13%).
While each of these are popular coping techniques, yoga is among the most underestimated powerful stress reducers and is recommended by health care experts.
Interestingly, among the poll takers who do physical exercise, only a small percentage consider yoga as a powerful stress reducer: yoga (10%), walking (30%), and running (21%).
Here are some brilliant ways to manage and reduce stress, promote peace, relaxation and calm within yourself:
1. Exercise and Yoga
Exercise is the main method of promoting relaxation and reducing stress for most people. One of the values of regular exercise is the moderating effect it has on emotion. This is a long-standing benefit, but non-aerobic and aerobic exercise may also work in severe situations as an ideal symptomatic treatment. If you feel upset or angry, a brisk run or walk, or a half-hour of weight lifting will every so often keep you in a nice mood. However, even though exercise is an ideal way to burn off excess energy, it doesn’t teach you how to manage stress in a different way. Because of that, it isn’t recommended as your only method of relaxation, rather it’s a supplement to another method, like visualization, yoga or breathing, for example. Yoga is a superb relaxation promoter as well as a great form of non-aerobic body conditioning. It complements aerobic exercise perfectly.
2. Body Work and Massage
Enjoy a massage or other type of bodywork, for a perfect, relaxing experience. You need to give in to the touch of a professional therapist and be totally passive in order to derive full benefit.
There’s a great deal of evidence that the nervous system and state of mind are mirrored in the musculature state – bodywork is one-route into our unconscious mind. Some types of massage tend to be more relaxing compared to others.
Some of the most popular forms of massages for reducing stress include Trager work – a system that makes use of bouncing and rocking movements to calm and lull the recipients into a very pensive altered state– as well as Watsu, that is done using warm water.
Massage-like exercise, is more of a symptomatic stress reducer than a lasting treatment. It also tends to be limited in how it is applied, because only a few people are able to visit a massage therapist every day, and most people require practicing relaxation skills every day.
3. Meditation
Meditation is “directed concentration”. Meditation leaders practice focusing their consciousness and target it onto a body: the breath, a word or phrase repeated silently, images in the eye of the mind, or memorized inspirational passages.
Immediate benefits have been documented by researchers in terms of respiratory rate or decreased heart, increased blood flow, lowered blood pressure, as well as other measurable precursors of the relaxation responses.
Even though meditation potentials are vast, not everybody should go for it as a way of relaxing because many people aren’t ready to get into meditation.
The first move is to come up with good exercise schedules, learn to breath properly, and improve one’s diet.
Some individuals may derive from simpler relaxation techniques, ones that offer instant results without much effort.
Shop around a form that seems comfortable and one that isn’t at odds with your belief-system and suits, if you want to start meditating. All types of meditation call for regular, every day practice for a long time period before they deliver huge rewards.
Start to meditate on daily basis without fail, 20-30 minutes being a sensible time length to reduce stress.
Many people tend to think the goal is to halt every thought. That is not really possible. Withdrawing your attention from the unending chains of relentless thoughts that continuously stream through your mind is what you wish to learn. Whenever you are aware that your concentration has strayed (to thoughts of dinner, sensations etc.) slowly direct back to your selected object. Meditation requires just this continuous awareness of your attention/focus and fetching it back.
4. Avoid Unhealthy Habits
Don’t rely on smoking, caffeine and alcohol as your ways of managing stress. Men are more likely to do this than women. This known as avoidance behavior, but women are not largely affected as most tend to seek support from their acquaintanceship.
These crutches will not solve your problems on the long-run. They will just create new problems. It’s like putting your head in the sand. It may be short term relief, but it is not going to make the problems fade away. You need to seek healthier ways to help you tackle the causes of your stress.
5. Connect with people
A good support network of friends, family and colleges can ease your stress and help you see things in a better perspective. Health experts warn that if you fail to connect with people, you will not get support to turn to whenever you need help.
The activities you do with friends and colleagues help a lot in relaxing and reducing stress. You will, time and again, have a good laugh with your loved ones and friends, and this is an excellent stress reliever. Talking things through with friends will also help you get better solutions to your problems.
Yoga and stress reduction to cure bruxism – A Quick Recap:
So you grind your teeth at night? The main reason for that could be stress. Teeth grinding is something that many people develop involuntarily and can hang onto for many years.
For this reason, it may become frustrating when trying to stop it, especially because it’s something that happens when you’re sleeping. However, most people positively overcome the condition, so don’t let it overcome you.
You can try different methods to see how you can deal with it. One thing is for sure – Yoga is helping in an unsuspecting way.
Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism. It refers to excessive clamping together of the upper and the bottom jaw that is accompanied by the grinding of the lower teeth with the upper ones.
Most people are not aware of the problem because it happens at night. Normally, it is only when a dentist points out the teeth damage from grinding that a person with bruxism becomes aware of the problem.
Teeth Grinding affects both adults and children, though adults are the most affected. Even though it is not considered a serious medical problem, it can cause havoc in the mouth. It can lead to painful teeth and cause them to loosen. Parts of the teeth can also break and this can lead to jaw disorders, pain, damaged teeth, and headaches.
Stress is the main cause of teeth grinding.
When someone is stressed, they gain a negative form of energy that needs to be released.
Even though every person responds to stress differently, some people respond through muscle contraction. For example, if you have an existing bite problem, and you bring in some stress, your body may find teeth grinding relieving.
By simply reducing your stress level with lifestyle changes, you may find that you can put an end to this problem. You can actually reduce stress by doing more exercise, or, if you have personal problems in your life that are causing stress, you could talk to a therapist.
Other simpler things you can do is listen to your favorite music, go out for a walk, or get a cute little pet.
You can also ease stress by taking a warm bath and relaxing and doing yoga. In fact, yoga has been identified by many as the golden ticket to reducing the frequency and severity of teeth grinding.
Different yoga techniques help reduce tension in the body and muscle activity.
Experts say yoga and meditation can help.
There are numerous yoga techniques that can help you stop grinding your teeth at night.
First, relaxation is very important if you want to overcome teeth grinding. As stated above, stress play a very big role in teeth grinding. Therefore, it is very important to adapt a daily routine that focuses on relieving your stress to ensure you are stress-free at night.
Yoga stretches are very important, not just to reduce teeth grinding, but also for your health. Some of the yoga poses that can help reduce teeth grinding include:
Eyes around the clock pose – Shockingly, stress on the eyes can drop down to the rest of your face, including your jaws. You need to relax your eyes by doing a yoga pose known as “eyes around the clock”. Start by closing your eyes slightly and rotate your eyes clockwise twenty times, then rotate your eyes counter clockwise another twenty times.
Warrior 2 Pose – this pose opens the sub-occipital muscles in the neck. When you stand to do the pose, make sure one of your legs is at 45 degrees, and the other one is facing straight ahead. Then place your arms at the shoulder level, and keep the shoulders back and relaxed. Increase the size of your spine, and then turn your head to the left or right. Hold this pose for about 10 breaths. Then turn and face the other direction with your legs.
The Camel Pose – this also opens the sub-occipital muscles found in your neck. Sit on a mat and bring yourself onto your knees, and space them out to be hip-width apart. Then, gradually straighten up on your knees. Lengthen your spine to the sky as high as you can, push your pelvis forward and up. And then keep your hands on your lower back and let your neck be long. Gradually bring your head back as far as you can bring it. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed. You should hold the pose for 10 deep breaths. Your jaw physiques will be strained and tension will be released.
Bridge Pose – This is another yoga pose that can help get rid of teeth grinding. Lie on your back, and gradually lift your hips high, then push them slightly forward. At the same time, interconnect your fingers behind your back without squeezing your shoulder edges together, and then fold your chin into your chest. Hold this pose for 10 deep breaths. You will feel a nice upper back release.
Yoga is a practice. The yoga cure will not work overnight.
As you get deeper into your yoga practice, you will start to notice a lighter feeling and a sense of ease that you will carry with you throughout the day and into the night.
Hence, the most important thing to remember is to stop, relax, take a deep breath, and commit yourself to your practice every day. In short, the more you can let go of stress during the day, the less likely you are to be overwhelmed by the issue at night. Through consistency and deep breathing/yoga improvement, the likelihood of teeth grinding occurring at night or during the day will begin to lift.
Since nocturnal bruxism is a sleep disorder, another way to deal with the problem is to visit a sleep study center. You can find these centers at universities or hospitals. They can use their sensors to take measurements of all the things your body does while you fall asleep. They can even tell if you have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and sleep apnea, which are common with people who grind their teeth. Your doctor will then recommend treatment based on those results.
Though it is difficult to stop the habit of grinding your teeth at night, it is not impossible. It is therefore necessary to visit your dentist, and make yoga your favorite workout.
There is a lot of speculation out there as to why we grind our teeth:
Bruxism is a teeth grinding disorder which causes you to clench your teeth together, grind or gnash them involuntarily. People suffering from bruxism occasionally find themselves unconsciously clenching their teeth together either during the day or at night.
Regardless of whether you are familiar with this condition or not it is very important for you to know the effects of bruxism and how it can influence your general health.
Bruxism is a very common condition today and studies show that approximately one in three people suffer from this condition. This disorder is usually as a result of a complication caused by another condition or state of being. Below are the full details about this disorder and what you can do to stop it. It is important to know what is bruxism, why it happens and what to do about it.
“Why does bruxism happen?”
There is no clear reason why this teeth grinding disorder occurs but studies suggest that there are various factors that are related to its occurrence. These factors include;
Sleep disorders
Some limited research has shown that people who experience sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or even snore while sleeping are more prone to grind their teeth while sleeping. This is because these two factors cause a disruption to breathing while a person is asleep. However, recent studies show a weak association between sleep apnea and teeth grinding. It has also been suggested that people who experience sleep paralysis, hallucinations, behave aggressively while asleep or even talk in their sleep are more likely to experience bruxism.
Anxiety and stress
The second factor that can cause bruxism to occur is stress and anxiety. These two factors are psychological and mental problems that affect victims who suffer from teeth grinding subconsciously when they are asleep. Studies show that excessive amount of work related stress or a traumatic event can affect your sleep resulting to occurrence of sleep bruxism. To be clear, anxiety and stress can cause teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Way of life
This teeth grinding disorder may as well occur due to specific life factors which include, excessive alcohol consumption, use of recreational drugs i.e. cocaine and ecstasy, taking six or more cups of caffeinated drinks a day such as coffee or tea and smoking.
Medication
Another reason why bruxism occurs is due to the side effects caused by taking certain medication including antipsychotics and anti depressants. Even though there is a high risk of developing this kind of grinding disorder if you are on these drugs, you ought to know that most people who take these medications rarely experience symptoms of bruxism.
“What can one do to stop it?”
Once a person suffering from bruxism identifies the condition, the first thing that he or she is usually eager to know is how to stop the teeth grinding condition. There is no specific solution of how to stop teeth grinding but there are several medical options and treatments that can help control the condition and prevent more damage to the teeth.
If you realize that stress is the cause of your teeth grinding disorder, consult your doctor about options to reduce your stress but if a sleeping disorder is what has caused bruxism then you need to treat that disorder so as to eliminate the grinding habit.
This is the most common and widely used resolution of bruxism. Mouth guards are devices worn at night to protect the teeth against grinding during sleep. The whole idea of using night guards is to prevent tooth damage since the devices have the ability to withstand the impact caused by grinding. This is because the patient will still continue to grind their teeth even with the mouth guard on.
Exercising the jaw
Another way of controlling bruxism is by engaging in daily jaw exercises. You can consult either a chiropractor or your dentist to guide you on the type of exercises that you can carry out but meanwhile you can start by using warm water and a wet wash cloth on the jaw to help you relax and strengthen it. You can also relax the jaw muscle at night by holding a warm piece of cloth against your cheek just before your ear lobe.
Train yourself to stop clenching or grinding your teeth
You can also control this teeth grinding disorder by training yourself not to clench or grind your teeth especially if you notice that you clench or grind during the day. Do this by putting the tip of your tongue in between your teeth as this practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
Avoid excessive alcohol intake
Studies have shown that excessive intake of alcohol tends to makes teeth grinding more intensified. For this reason, anyone who has bruxism should avoid excessive alcohol intake so as to stop teeth grinding.
Keep off chewing on pens and pencils
Patients of bruxism should not chew on pencils, pens, gum or even anything that is not food. This is because doing this causes your jaw muscles to get used to clenching and this makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
“What Does Bruxism Have to Do With TMD?”
Bruxism and TMD disorder are two different issues but they can be related to each other. As we had mentioned earlier, bruxism is a teeth grinding disorder but on the other hand, TMD disorder occurs because of the misalignment of the joint that joins the lower jaw to the skull. Bruxism can be categorized as a TMD disorder also known as TMJ but the TMD disorder can cause bruxism. There is a high than average chance that a person suffering from bruxism also has the TMD disorder. Check out this recent article that explores TMD treatment by receiving botox injections.
Non-Specific Bruxism Vs Specific Bruxism.
This teeth grinding disorder is classified into two categories i.e. specific and non-specific bruxism. Specific bruxism is the type of bruxism that occurs naturally i.e. without any prior medical condition whereas non specific bruxism is the teeth grinding disorder that occurs as a result of a psychiatric or medical conditions. Non specific bruxism can also be linked with various medications such as recreational drugs and anti depressions.
Even though there is no specific cure for bruxism, it is important to control the effects of the teeth grinding disorder so as to prevent any further damages. Symptoms of bruxism include a painful jaw, high teeth sensitivity, muscle tenderness, insomnia, headache, eating disorder, ear ache, depression, anxiety and stress. Other preventive measures that may help relieve pain include drinking plenty of water, getting enough rest, massaging the muscles of the neck, shoulders and face and also learning physical therapy exercises that can help restore muscle and joints on each side of the head.
How to Save on Dental Night Guard Costs and Choose the Best Night Guard Type for You
Bruxism is a common problem that affects people of all ages. The common cause of teeth grinding for adults is stress, but it’s not always the case for everybody. Some people experience grinding due to prescription medications that cause teeth-clenching behavior, diet, lack of exercise, or overconsumption of caffeine or alcohol, while others (including children) suffer from bruxism for no apparent cause or reason.
Although mild bruxism will have little to no risk for most people, chronic bruxism may cause other health problems such as hearing loss, tension headaches and dental problems. Since bruxism is usually a symptom of an underlying health problem, there’s no specific medication to cure bruxism. The only treatment that most dentists recommend is through the use of night guards. For anyone who’s suffering from the disorder, this will usually be the first approach that dentists advise.
So how do you find the best dental night guards for less and discover which type is the best for you? You will also learn how you can save from dental night guard costs by purchasing night guards without your dentists’ assistance.
In order to minimize the damage caused by clenching and grinding of teeth at night, most people rely on dental night guards to avoid premature wear of teeth. If you’re buying a night guard for the first time, remember that you want to find one that is comfortable and highly durable. If you have sensitive teeth and/or gums, your a light sleeper, or this is your first time wearing a night guard comfort should be your top concern. When looking for the best night guard most of the highly durable ones are often made out of EVA plastic or acrylic material.
When buying night guards, it is a good idea to go with the type your dentist recommends.
A dentist can determine the degree of damage and recommend which night guard type is best for you. Most dentists charge a fee on top of the night guard price, so expect that your consultation fee and purchase will be costly. However, most night guards that come from dentists are made-to-order, to ensure that you will get the perfect fit. In order to save money on made-to-order night guards, you can simply buy direct from the lab. Oftentimes, this is where your dentist sends the mold of your teeth to be made anyway. Buying straight from the lab will cost you less and you don’t need to leave your home! Search for the best manufacturers on-line and compare prices. Once you’ve found one, you can simply make your order online and the lab will send you a molding kit for your special order. You will then send this back to the lab and they will send you your custom fit night guards in less than 2 weeks. This will save you a lot of money that’s usually paid for dentist fees and commissions.
If you’re in a hurry and need a short term solution as soon as possible, the next available option is purchasing ready-made night guards. Ready-made night guards available in different styles and brands. Many of these protectors look exactly the same as the mouth guards athletes use on extreme sports such as martial arts and boxing, so you pretty much have an idea on how comfortable (or better yet, uncomfortable) they can be.
While most custom-made night guards that you get from dentists will cost you around $350 – $950, ready-made night guards that you can purchase over-the-counter or on the internet will cost you around $15 to $40 per piece while custom-made night guards purchased direct from labs will cost you around $70 – $195 per piece. Purchasing mouth guard kits from online shops that will ship directly from labs for you (for a price lesser than most dentists usually charge) will help you save a great deal on your dental night guard costs if you prefer a custom-made night guard over the boil-and-bite variety.
If you’re looking to save money and you don’t worry much about not having a custom-fit night guard for your teeth, a ready-made night guard might be a viable option for you. Popular brands are: DenTek Comfort Fit Dental Guard Kit (around $26 per piece), SmartGuard Elite ($23 per piece) and Doctor’s Night Guard ($15 per piece).
When choosing the best night guard, always make sure that you make comfort and durability your top priority. You don’t always need to spend a lot in order to protect your teeth and gums from the damage caused by bruxism. You can either buy direct or through different shopping sites. A simple Google search will lead you to hundreds of on-line stores where you can get night guards for a fraction of the price your dentist provides.
Dreams of teeth falling out are among the most popular dreams that are received by the dream moods.
Most of such dreams revolve around the teeth crumbling in your own hands, teeth starting to rot, growing crooked or falling out each one at a time with just a slight push. These types of dreams can not only be shocking & horrifying, they might even leave you with this strange fear stuck in your mind for a long time after.
Meaning of Teeth Falling Out Dreams
One popular theory about the teeth falling out dream is that the dream is a result of your own fears about how people perceive you.
Your teeth are a symbol of attractiveness, and they play an important role in the game of dating and approaching members of the opposite sex. Therefore, such dreams may occur from a fear of rejection, consequences of old age, or sexual impotence. To add weight to this notion, a research found out that women who are in the menopause stage, have reported having frequent dreams about teeth falling out. This might be associated to teeth dreams and growing older. It is a feeling of unattractiveness, feeling less feminine or getting older. Teeth are an important aspect of your attractiveness and it is natural and healthy to care about how you look.
Another theory that has been brought forward relating to these dreams is the fear of being embarrassed in a certain situation. These dreams are just an overreaction of your worries and anxieties. You might feel that you are not sufficiently prepared for a task waiting for you. Most of the times, such anxieties are just unfounded. Again, they can take place when the real situation is less serious than what is playing in your mind.
Teeth are used to chew, tear, bite and gnaw. In this aspect, they are a symbol of power and their loss in your dream may mean a sense of feeling less powerful. You may be having issues with low self esteem, feelings of inferiority or even lacking in self confidence in a relationship or a certain part of your life. Having such dreams is an indication that you need to have more belief in yourself and demonstrate more assertiveness.
Freud’s Theories
The teeth falling out dream is common in many cultures.
Therefore, Freud was of the opinion that it must be a dream symbol that carries huge importance. According to Freud and the evidence he had gathered, men having dreams about teeth falling out are mainly associated with sexual desires. Dreams associated with teeth falling out or pulling out of teeth are mainly associated with loss of a certain connection. Freud associates them to sexual references, fear of castration for men and sexual repression.
Medical Aspect of Teeth Grinding
In medical terms, teeth grinding is known as bruxism.
It refers to either the habit of clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth. This is a condition that happens automatically and involuntarily. According to the American Dental Association, about 10% of people are believed to be suffering from this condition, both children and adults.
The Connection Between Teeth Grinding and The Teeth Falling Out Dream
There has been more and more evidence that suggests the teeth falling out nightmare may be a good indication that a person is grinding his/her teeth during the night.
Several bruxers (teeth grinders) note that they have experienced multiple dreams where teeth problems are the dominant theme. Many tell of dreams where their teeth turning into powder. View discussion here: http://www.defectiveyeti.com/archives/000889.html
Bruxism exists in two varieties, the awake bruxism, and sleep bruxism. Awake bruxism is mostly associated with jaw clenching and less of teeth grinding. The sleep bruxism is the most common and a source of concern for most people.
Symptoms of Bruxism
Teeth grinding at night can lead to various problems.
Some of them might cease if you can manage and control your teeth grinding. However others are permanent problems. The following are some of the symptoms associated with this condition.
– Gum complications such as receding and regular bleeding.
– Face muscles pain
– Problems moving the muscles of the mouth, especially when opening.
Medical explanation for teeth grinding at night
Teeth Falling Out Nightmare and Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
The main cause of this condition is still not clear, as is the case with other sleeping disorders. There are various explanations brought forward, and it might also be a combination of more than one of the factors listed below.
Psychological Problems
When you are trying to find out the underlying factors that lead you to grind your teeth, stress might come up more often. Most people grind their teeth during those stressful moments. According to the US bruxism association, more than 70% suffering from bruxism is as a result of stress. Medical professionals agree that stress and anxiety are main causes of bruxism.
Other Sleep Disorders
According to the National Health Service, there is a high possibility of people to grind their teeth when suffering from sleep disorders. These include:
– Upper airway resistance syndrome. This is a breathing problem that needs to be addressed by a medical professional.
– Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
– Snoring
Medication and drugs
Some recreational drugs and medicine have been known to contribute to bruxism. Drugs like amphetamine, cocaine, and SSRI anti-depressants are believed to contribute to bruxism. Doctors also believe that too much alcohol or caffeine might lead to this condition.
How to Stop Teeth Grinding
There are various treatments available for you if you are suffering from bruxism. However, the success of the medical procedure largely depends on the root cause of the condition. Most of these solutions will cure it or reduce its severity.
Dental Check Up
Teeth grinding and chewing can create huge teeth damage. If you suffer from it, then you should be having regular dental checkups. If damage has already been caused, then some reconstruction can also be done.
Wearing a Mouth Guard
This method remains one of the most effective methods for minimizing the effects of teeth grinding on the teeth. Mouth guards come in the form of rubber and plastic. However, they only help in addressing the problem/damage and not the root cause.
If the underlying reasons for your bruxism is psychological and mostly stress, then some professional help might be needed. There are many therapies available today that are very effective. Hypnotherapy has also proved to be very effective in addressing this challenge.
Conclusion
There is a link, mostly psychological between the two areas- the traditional and the medical theories. However, what remains a solid case is that teeth grinding at night are mainly brought by stress and anxiety.
We want to hear your stories! Are you a bruxer that also has dreams of your teeth falling out? Comment below!
