Don’t Let Stress Make Your Teeth A Mess
Occasional clenching and grinding is common and doesn’t really cause too much damage. But when it continues long after the holidays have gone, you might develop a problem.
No matter what time of year, life gets busy. When we get stressed, our bodies can react in ways that might not be the best for our health, or our teeth. Grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw regularly can be very damaging to your smile. It can lead to tooth loss, and no one looks forward to that.
If you are a person who starts to grind your teeth or clench your jaw whenever you feel stressed, you can develop techniques to reduce this action. To keep your stress levels at bay, and to help avoid the grind, try a method of de-stressing such as:
• Meditating
• Deep breathing
• Listening to calming music
• Taking a walk
• Talking to a friend
• Sitting in silence
Grinding In Your Sleep
Some people have a tendency to grind their teeth while they sleep and they have no idea that they are doing it. Beyond stress, sleep apnea can also cause a person to grind at night. If you display one or more of these symptoms, you might be a night-grinder:
• Consistent headaches when you awake
• Tooth pain in the morning
• Pain in your jaw or face
• Feeling tired when you wake up
When you grind your teeth at night, you obviously won’t be able to use any of the stress-reducing techniques recommended to help you stop. But you can still get some relief by getting fitted with a mouth guard.
Not Just For Athletes
You might see football players, or boxers, wearing mouth guards when they play. This is to protect their teeth from damage during the game or event. But you can also wear a guard while you sleep. A mouth guard, also called a night guard, is a piece of acrylic resin made specifically for your mouth. When you wear the guard in your sleep, it prevents the pain that comes when you grind your teeth or clench your jaw. It also protects against damage such as tooth chipping and scratching.
If you experience any of the symptoms of grinding your teeth at night, come in and see us at Community Dental Group. We’ll help you determine the best solution for your dental needs. Now; take a deep breath, hold it for three seconds, exhale slowly, and then give us a call!