Tips For Treating Bruxism

It is important to treat bruxism to relieve other pain from pressure on our jaw and to prevent it from wearing down our teeth.

The symptoms associated with bruxism are very numerous and it is one of the most common pains that we are not aware of. To prevent and treat bruxism, you need to know the factors that cause it.

Many people have a habit of waking up in the morning with pain in their jaw. We don’t give it much importance at first, but sooner or later the nausea, ringing in the ears and unusual headaches appear.

Indeed, it is difficult to know if during the night, we sleep while clenching our teeth or grinding them intensely. The most common is that our dentist prepares dental protection for us to sleep, which prevents these strange movements of the mouth.

Bruxism: symptoms and causes

The most common is unwittingly clenching or grinding your teeth at night.

However, in the long run, this bad habit ends up having consequences. Clenching your teeth for several hours every night puts considerable strain on the muscles of the mouth and other structures in the jaw.

Additionally, it is common for this unconscious act to be audible to your bed mate.

The most common symptoms

• Pain in the jaw.
• Headaches as soon as you get up.
• Nausea or pain in the neck area.
• It is also common to experience pain in the ears or even very annoying ringing (tinnitus).
• Suffering from bruxism for many years without treatment can seriously wear down your teeth.
• When you open your mouth, you can feel a crunch.
• You may notice sensitivity when chewing very hot or very cold foods. 
• Some people even lose their appetite, feel tired, and have severe pain in their jaw that prevents them from chewing food properly.

What is bruxism due to?

Doctors tell us that the root cause of this condition is often stress.

However, some sleep specialists believe that the disorder is related to our resting habits.

• Insomnia, for example, can cause nervousness to be heightened and we put high pressure on our jaw.

• Having a very active rhythm of life, with many pressures and many tasks to perform, can cause this condition.

• Relationship problems and emotional distress can also turn into nocturnal teeth grinding.

It should be remembered that if stress is maintained for a long time, our nervous system is overexcited.

All this turns into bruxism but also tachycardia, digestive problems, back problems, etc.

What consequences can bruxism generate if it is not treated?

• Dental problems and tooth wear.
• Chronic headaches.
• Incorrect bite the jaw.
• Digestive problems since we do not chew food well.
• Wear of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). 
• Problems in the nervous system which can lead to nausea.

How to treat bruxism?

The ferrules

One of the most common strategies for treating bruxism is to use dental protections, also known as ferrules.

The dentist will recommend them to you to protect your teeth from the pressure of grinding.

Thanks to the ferrule, you will succeed in preventing, or at least reducing, teeth grinding.

Although it is effective in most cases, some people cannot solve their problem, hence the need to take into account the particularities of each patient.

Physiotherapy exercises to treat bruxism

In addition to the treatment prescribed by doctors and dentists, it is also advisable to follow these simple exercises to recover a good jaw joint, relax our muscles and reduce pain.

This is a series of movements that you have to perform five times a day, sitting in a chair with your back straight and your arms resting on the armrests.

• Open your mouth 10 times, hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax for another 10 seconds.
• Slowly move the lower jaw to one side, then the other and hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat this movement 10 times.
• Direct the chin towards the chest 10 times, in order to achieve cervical flexion.

Natural remedies

• At dinner, eat an apple or carrot, chewing it very slowly.
  In this way, you will calm your overactive jaw.
• Before going to sleep, prepare yourself an infusion of lime and sage with a spoonful of honey.
• Practice a few simple yoga exercises before bed.
• Increase your intake of calcium and magnesium.
  It is necessary to fight tooth wear, without forgetting the importance of magnesium to take care of our nervous system.

In conclusion, one of the most effective ways to treat bruxism is to manage stress properly.

Don’t hesitate to prioritize what’s important to you.

During the day, set aside times to relax and enjoy personal space.

If you adopt a more relaxed lifestyle and get help from doctors and dentists, you will undoubtedly be able to solve your bruxism problem.