How to Stop Grinding Teeth

Grinding teeth is a condition where people clench or grind their teeth. This condition is also called Bruxism and can happen consciously or unconsciously while a person is awake or asleep. Although this condition is not very severe in many people and may not require treatment, it can still turn severe. It can cause several other medical issues such as headaches, damaged teeth, and jaw disorders, to name a few.

Sleep bruxism is more common than Awake Bruxism and can be caused by sleep apnea (pauses in breathing) or snoring. However, there are ways to stop grinding teeth or reduce this issue. Here are some ways you can treat Bruxism:

Dental Correction

In cases where Bruxism becomes more severe, it also causes your teeth to wear, which make you to the inability to chew your food correctly and sensitivity to everything. In this case, the dentist can reshape the chewing surface of your teeth, or they can also use crowns to help repair your damaged teeth. In this case, contacting our experts at Abdoney Orthodontics is also a good option, as they specialize in all kinds of Oral alignments.

Reductive Coronoplasty

This is a medical procedure where the biting surface of the teeth is either reshaped or leveled. It's effective for those individuals who have bruxism caused by crowding or misalignment of their teeth. Depending on the patient's situation, additive coronoplasty can be used secondarily to build up the tooth surface.

Mouth Guards and Splints

Mouth guards and splints are specially designed for people severely affected by sleep bruxism. These objects help protect your teeth to avoid damage to your while clenching and grinding. You can buy them with or without a doctor's prescription. You can also find one made of soft or hard acrylic material, which is fitting and comfortable for your lower and upper teeth.

Stress Management

Often, grinding teeth is not a physical ailment, but has more to do stress and anxiety. For this reason, you can learn strategies or practices that promote relaxation and ease your anxiety and stress, such as meditation, yoga, exercise, medication, or therapy.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is also another option you can use if you still have the habit of grinding teeth. It is a method that uses equipment and monitoring procedures to help you learn how to control the muscle activity in your jaw.

Relaxing Jaw Muscles

Grinding your teeth usually happens unconsciously, because of stress jaw muscles. For this reason, you can opt for exercises and massages that relax your jaw muscles. You can even apply hot packs to your jaws at night to keep your muscles relaxed at night and stop grinding your teeth.

Botox Injections

Botox injections are a popular way people use to reduce their fine lines and wrinkles. However, this treatment can also help with more severe cases of Bruxism. Botox injections are injected into the large jaw muscle called the masseter. The Botox injection inhibits muscle activity, which keeps you from grinding and clenching your teeth.

Bottom Line

Bruxism may be a severe condition in some cases, but there are different ways that you can cure it. You can take medications or perform exercise therapies to reduce your anxiety. Your physician may also recommend botox injections into your jaws, to relax your muscles.

Though bruxism is an uncomfortable condition that can lead to various issues, it's not hopeless. There are an array of treatment and management options available that can restore normalcy to life and reduce pain and suffering. Medical professionals can work with patients to find which treatments will be most effective depending on the causes and severity of the condition.

If you want to have expert advice about grinding your teeth or want to get treatment, you can contact us at Abdoney Orthodontics for expert advice and treatment.