Waking up with sore teeth is common among many people.
Checked and updated for accuracy on February 27th, 2023.
Often times, when a person goes to sleep, their teeth feel healthy and fine but when they wake up the teeth will feel sore. Sometimes, just the bottom teeth hurt or just the top and sometimes everything hurts including the jaw.
This may or may not be accompanied by a headache and/or jaw clicking/popping. It may seem minor but it can cause a lot of discomfort and inconveniences.
A person who wakes with complaints of “my teeth are sore” or “my teeth hurt” might be unable to eat breakfast or brush teeth comfortably. It’s not the best way for one to start their day and can actually be doing real damage to the teeth.
If you are suffering from a disorder such as bruxism (constant nighttime teeth grinding) or TMJ, this could turn into bigger trouble down the road. So lets take a look at some top reasons why a person might wake up with sore teeth and also the solutions to this issue.
It is estimated that most of us grind or clench our teeth at some point in our lives.
1. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching
The most common cause of sore teeth when waking up is the grinding and clenching of teeth while asleep.
The majority of people who experience this issue usually clench and/or grind their teeth while asleep.
In fact, 1 in 10 people grind or clench their teeth at night.
This might be caused by many things including stress, dreaming and irregular temperatures at night amongst other reasons. A person who clenches and grinds his or her teeth at night will not have control of this situation, since it is not possible to stop clenching and grinding of teeth while asleep.
Therefore, if such a person does not find the right solution, the problem will persist and the person will be waking up with complaints of ‘my teeth are sore’ and slowly making the teeth flatter and more susceptible to cracks & breakage. Jaw pain can accompany this. This makes it paramount to find a permanent and effective solution to solve this problem.
Don’t know if you’re grinding your teeth? The most convenient and effective solution to waking up with sore teeth because of grinding and clenching of the teeth at night is the use of a dental night guard. These guards are effective because they prevent the teeth from coming into contact at night, and even if the person wearing the night guard clenches or grinds the teeth, there will be no negative effect.
Custom made night guards (based on a dental impression of your teeth) are far superior to store bought dental night guards. Custom guards are also easy to put on and remove and they can be worn by almost anyone. Finding the right night guard for you can sometimes be tricky.
A custom made dental night guard (made from a dental impression of your teeth) is almost universally recommended by dentists and researchers alike over the stock, store bought types. Skip dental office prices and get your night guard to stop your sore teeth directly from the lab!
2. Food stuck in your teeth
Another common cause of teeth soreness while waking up is eating foods and failing to brush while going to bed. Some of the common foods that usually cause this problem include hard foods whose particles might remain on the teeth, or meats that get in between the cracks.
These food particles will have a negative effect on you while sleeping which can easily cause teeth soreness. The most effective way of avoiding this problem is ensuring that you brush and floss prior to sleeping. Through brushing and flossing one can remove the food particles that might have remained on the teeth and therefore have a comfortable night.
3. Sleep positions
People who tend to sleep in certain positions might wake up with their teeth feeling sore. For instance, placing the hands below the face, especially on the jaw area, or sleeping with your face on something hard like rings or bracelets (it’s common for people nowadays to sleep with their phone right next to them) can cause the teeth to be sore.
Pay attention to where the pain/soreness is being distributed. Is it just on one side? Both sides? Upper teeth? Lower teeth?
A person who usually moves his or her face towards the rail of the bed might also make the teeth feel sore in the morning. The ideal solution for teeth soreness caused by these issues is ensuring that one removes all jewelry before going to bed, and puts their phone on a nightstand nearby.
One should also practice placing the hands away from the face while sleeping. It is also helpful to try sleeping far away from the bed rails and placing a pillow between yourself and the rail, so as to avoid placing the face along the rails while asleep.
Other possible reasons my teeth are sore
4. Have you had a dental appointment or cleaning lately?
Sometimes getting your teeth and gums probed and prodded with dental tools can cause some continued soreness. This will usually subside within a few days after treatment and should not cause alarm.
5. Sprained tooth syndrome (STS)
This can form from a number of things; such as an overfilled filling or crown, cold allergy/sinus issues, or shifting of teeth. Additionally, crunching , grinding or opening the mouth continuously can aggravate the tooth & ligament that is attached to the tooth, and even exacerbate clenching and grinding.
Sometimes STS can arise from a small minor accident like crunching on a pointy, sticky or chewy food & worsen from that point. Dental treatment for STS may include changing the patients bite, Ibuprofen, the use of sensitive toothpaste and/or a dental night guard.
You should seek professional dental help if you suspect you may be suffering from STS as this syndrome can be complex.
What do you think? Have you suffered from morning teeth soreness?
Solving the problem of grinding and clenching by wearing a custom night guard is now a convenient solution because these guards are easily accessible online. A person who might need a dental night guard can complete the entire process without ever having to leave their house.
Don’t know if you should go through an online night guard lab or pay your dentist? There are some instances when you should definitely go through the dentist. If you’re suffering from TMJ, jaw alignment issues or if your dentist recommends making you a special type of night guard involving metal clasps or ramps, you will need him/her to fabricate that type of special appliance for you.
The process of buying a Sentinel Night Guard is simple and the payment modes with features that include PayPal are secure and user-friendly.
Furthermore, purchasing your new night guard from Sentinel Mouth Guards is way less expensive than what a dentist charges.
There can be other reasons why you might complain that “my teeth are sore” that are not listed in this article. Discuss your tooth soreness with your dentist. He/she can take x-rays to see if there are some visual signs of trouble in one or more of your teeth. A dentist can also perform sleep tests and examine your teeth for fracture lines or dental damage if you are indeed grinding or clenching at night.
Do you have something to add to this article? Please do! See the comment section below.
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