Do You Suffer From Bruxism? Discover These Tips To Treat It

People with bruxism often wake up in the morning with jaw pain. The usual thing is that, in principle, not much attention is paid to this symptom. However, later dizziness, ringing in the ears and headache, among other discomforts, may occur, as indicated by various studies.

Bruxism is one of the most common conditions, but it is not repaired, since it is very difficult for a person to realize that they sleep by clenching their teeth or grinding them with great intensity.

If you suspect that you have bruxism, it is appropriate to go to the dentist. The most common is that the specialist checks you and tells you that you should use splints to sleep and prevent those strange movements in the mouth.

Now, to prevent and manage bruxism, you must also know what causes it. For sure, this information will seem interesting to you.

A little more about bruxism, that common and underserved annoyance

The most common is clenching or grinding your teeth inadvertently when sleeping. If this movement is carried out for hours and over many weeks, and even months or years, it ends up having several consequences.

Grinding your teeth, for several hours each night, puts considerable pressure on the muscles of the mouth and other structures of the jaw. In fact, this unconscious act is usually audible to the bed partner.

Most common symptoms

Some common symptoms of bruxism are:

• Jaw pain
• Headache when getting up in the morning.
• Sometimes they feel dizzy or pain in the cervicals.
• When you open your mouth you may feel a kind of “snap”.
• There is some sensitivity when chewing very hot or very cold food.
• It is also common to experience earaches and even  very annoying ringing (tinnitus).
• If you suffer from bruxism for many years and do not follow any treatment,  your teeth can wear out.

• Some people lose their appetite, feel fatigued and have a very intense pain in the jaw, which prevents proper chewing of food.

Possible causes

Doctors indicate that many times the origin of this problem is stress, as pointed out by a study by the University of Granada. In turn, stress is associated with a series of inappropriate lifestyle habits. Some influencing factors are:

• The insomnia. Not getting enough hours of sleep can increase nervousness, manifesting itself by putting high pressure on the jaw.
• The rhythm of life. A routine with many pressures and tasks to accomplish leads to constant stress and tension, which increases the risk of suffering from bruxism.
• Personal problems. Difficulties in relationships and emotional distress can also lead to that nightly grinding of teeth.

Something important cannot be overlooked: if stress persists for a long time, the nervous system becomes overexcited. All this can lead not only to bruxism, but also to tachycardia, digestive problems, back problems, etc.

What consequences can bruxism cause if it is not treated?

The most common consequences of bruxism are the following:

• Frequent headache
• Incorrect occlusion of the jaw.
• Dental problems, tooth wear.
• Digestive problems, if it is not possible to chew food well.
• Wear of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

How to deal with bruxism?

Splints, the best to treat bruxism

One of the most effective strategies for treating bruxism is to wear a splint. It is the dentist who must order it, in order to protect the teeth from the pressure caused by grinding.

Thanks to the splint, it is possible to avoid, or at least reduce, grinding of the teeth. Although it is effective in most cases, in some people it does not help to solve the problem. Hence the importance of taking into account the particularities of each patient.

Massages and exercises

In addition to the treatment prescribed by doctors and dentists, it is highly recommended to do a simple massage to relax the muscles and reduce pain, as confirmed by a study by the University of Lleida.

Before doing the massage, you should consult with the dentist for authorization. If it does, the actions to follow are as follows:

• Perform circular movements with the fingertips, on both sides of the jaw, for a minute.
• Press gently under the cheekbones, in the areas that feel sore, for about 50 seconds.
• Repeat the above movements in the upper area of ​​the cheekbones.
• Gently press down on the lower jaw molars with your index fingers. The mouth will be ajar and you should try to close it gently.

Natural medicine

According to popular wisdom, some of the natural remedies that can help alleviate this problem would be the following:

• At dinner, eat an apple or a carrot, chewing very slowly. That way you release tension in that overactive jaw.
• Before going to sleep, prepare  an infusion of linden and sage with a tablespoon of honey. The biologist Gimena Pérez recommends this remedy to reduce stress, in the document Medicinal plants against anxiety.
• Practice yoga before bed.
• Increase your intake of calcium and magnesium. Intake of calcium helps to strengthen teeth. This should be supplemented with the consumption of vitamin D, as indicated in a document from the National University of Colombia.

In conclusion, one of the most effective ways to help reduce bruxism is manage adequately the stress. Don’t let the pressures of day to day overwhelm you and take breaks throughout the day to rest and relax.

If you maintain healthy lifestyle habits and account, in addition, with the help of doctors and dentists, you will undoubtedly make progress in solving the problem of bruxism.