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0 Bruxism. It’s the medical term that’s used to define teeth grinding. Although there are thousands of people who do grind their teeth (during the day and nighttime hours), if you happen to do it, it’s not something that you should overlook. The reason why is because teeth grinding is a telltale sign that you are battling with some level of stress and anxiety. And if stress is left untreated, that can lead to other health issues and concerns.
So, how can you know for sure that you grind your teeth? Aside from paying close attention to if you do during the day, after waking up in the morning, if you happen to have a dull headache, a sore jaw or your sleeping partner tells you that you were making a grinding sound, this means that you do suffer from some form of bruxism.
The first thing that you should do is make an appointment to see your dentist. The second thing that you should do is research some of the ways to handle teeth grinding as you sleep. If you’d like a few tips on things that you can do to prevent teeth grinding from happening while you rest, please read on.
Don’t clench your teeth during the day. One of the best ways to avoid grinding your teeth at night is by breaking the habit of doing it during the day. If you happen to notice that you are clenching your teeth while you’re at the office or working out, put forth the effort to relax your jaw. Also, it’s best if you don’t chew gum. That trains your jaws to constantly move and can ultimately increase your bruxism issues. For information on exercises that you can do for your jaws, visit LIVESTRONG and put “exercises to relax jaw muscles” in the search field.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Two drinks that help to stimulate your body are caffeine and alcohol. And so, when you consume a lot of either one, that can make it a lot harder to rest at night. So, when it comes to soda, coffee and wine, try and limit your consumption and definitely make sure that you drink them earlier in the day rather than a couple of hours before bedtime.
Relax before retiring for the evening. A mistake that a lot of people make is not creating a relaxation ritual before retiring for the evening. The reason why this is important to do is because the calmer you are the hour before you go to bed, the easier it will be to sleep soundly and not grind your teeth. Some relaxation tips include taking a bubble bath, lighting some incense or a candle, rubbing a bit of lavender on your temples, doing a few stretches, and reading a book (rather than watching television or sitting up with your laptop).
Go to bed on a schedule. If you happen to notice that your sleep patterns are a bit erratic, this could also cause stress on your body and result in you grinding your teeth. Something that you can do to make sure that you get an uninterrupted night’s rest is to go to bed at the same time each night. Being that 6-8 hours of sleep every evening is highly recommended, try and go to bed no later than 10-11pm.
Use a mouth guard. Based on how severe your Bruxism may be, your dentist might recommend that you get a teeth night guard. It’s something that you can put into your mouth to keep you from grinding your teeth during nighttime hours. For more information on mouth guards, visit Mouth Guards for Teeth Grinding.
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