All About Bruxism

Bruxism is something that happens that usually makes you feel like you have sore jaw muscles or a headache, which is when you grind and clench your teeth. It can cause teeth to become loose and painful, and sometimes it grinds away the teeth. It can destroy the tissues and bone in the mouth, and it can cause TMJ issues.

So how do you know if you have it? Well usually, it’s an unconscious habit that you may not even realize that you’re doing it. Sometimes, your dentist can find out what’s going on, especially if they notice the teeth being worn, or there are fractures in the enamel.  If you feel face ache, head and neck issues, or any sorts of pain, you might have facial bruxism.

So how is it treated? Well, it depends on the problem. Your dentist will ask questions and look at your teeth to figure out where the cause of this is. Usually, you have a few solutions that you can look into though.

The first is wearing an appliance or nightguard when you sleep, and these are custom-made, slip over the upper jaw, and will protect the teeth from grinding against the lower teeth. It is a way to manage it though, not a full on cure.

You should also consider ways to relax, since everyday stress is a major cause of this, and anything that can reduce stress is good. Listening to music, reading a book, taking walks or baths are good ways to help you with reducing stress associated with bruxism. In some cases, if you need to find ways to cope with it, counseling can help with that. If you need to treat it physically, you can get a warm, wet washcloth and put it on the side of the fact to relax the muscles.

You should consider reducing the high spots of the teeth in your bite. This is an abnormal bite, and it’s one where the teeth don’t fit well together, and they can be corrected with fillings, crowns, or even orthodontics.

If you need any help, or if you notice this pain, you should see your dentist right away. Some conditions can come along with this as well, and many times, it also links to other issues as well. If you are stressed though, this tends to be a major cause of it, and if you feel like you need to relax, then do so.

Bruxism is mostly sore and painful, and for many people, not being able to tackle that can play a major part in the overall state of your oral health. By doing this, and applying the right sort of care that you can, you’ll be able to treat this condition and make it easier on you as much as you can. Treat it now, so that you don’t have to worry about your teeth wearing down and potentially hurting the jaw and bone in the future in many different states.