Many people grind and/or clench their teeth from time to time. When I’m stressed, I often catch myself clenching my teeth (and my shoulders take up residence somewhere around my ears). Occasional teeth grinding — known as bruxism — does not usually do any lasting damage. However, teeth grinding on a regular basis can lead to damage and other complications.
Why do people grind their teeth? Bruxism is most often caused by an abnormal bite, missing teeth, or crooked teeth — and most teeth grinding happens during sleep. Sometimes, stress and/or anxiety can be a cause of teeth grinding, too.
Symptoms include:
- A dull, constant headache.
- Soreness/tenderness in the jaw.
- Abnormalities in the teeth.
- A spouse who can’t sleep because they hear you grinding your teeth.
Your dentist can tell you for certain whether or not you are grinding your teeth. Chronic teeth grinding can fracture or loosen teeth — some teeth may fall out completely. Chronic grinding can wear your teeth down to stumps, change the shape of your jaw and face, and cause or worsen TMD/TMJ. Some people with chronic bruxism even experience hearing loss.
If you have a serious teeth grinding problem, your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to wear while you sleep. But what else can you do?
- If stress is your problem, work on stress relief. Start an exercise program to blow off steam, talk to a therapist or counselor about your stress, or just make sure you get some quiet, private time for relaxing every day.
- Cut back on caffeine, and try to avoid it close to bedtime.
- Cut back on alcohol, and try to avoid it close to bedtime. Grinding seems to get worse after alcohol consumption.
- Cut back on gum chewing — it can train your jaw muscles to clench.
- Don’t chew on non-food items like pens and pencils. Again, this can train your jaw to clench.
- Pay attention to your jaw when you’re awake. If you find yourself clenching during the day, make a conscious effort to relax. Try sticking the tip of your tongue between your teeth to remind yourself to keep your jaw loose.
- Place a warm washcloth against your cheek (just in front of your earlobe) to help relax your jaw muscles.
- Massage your cheeks, jaw, and chin when you feel tense.