Do you wake up with sore jaw or maybe a headache? If you do, it could be a sign that you are grinding your teeth while you sleep. Many people grind their teeth during their sleep and they don’t even know it. Over time, this can cause sever damage to your teeth and it is something that needs to be corrected.
The most likely cause of bruxism is stress. That is what is thought to be the biggest factor when it is noticed that someone is grinding their teeth. Of course, many people suffer from very mild cases of bruxism and never really know about it because it goes undetected.
Most dentists will recommend a teeth guard but that will not solve the problem and only protect the teeth. The dilemma you face is whether you want to spend money on something that you may have to wear the rest of your life or whether you want to attack the problem and find a way to stop it. If you really want to fix the situation, it is best to discover why you are grinding your teeth and this will help you better figure out a remedy.
For most people, stress is either the cause or a component of bruxism. That would be the first place to start if you are hoping to find a cure but it is not necessarily the only thing. There have been many people who grind their teeth at night and yet have little stress. This is why curing bruxism is so difficult and is different for each individual. For one person it might be stress related and for another it may not.
If stress is the reason for your bruxism, finding a way to eliminate it or lessen it you will be your course of action. You may want to see a therapist who can determine if you have stress issues that you may not be aware of. There are also books in the library that will recommend other paths to cure this habit. If all else fails, you can always go back to the fall back plan of getting a nighttime mouth guard. This will at least minimize any further damage to your teeth and give you time to find out the real reason you are doing it.
You must log in to post a comment.