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How to Manage Your Nighttime Bruxism
Do you ever find yourself clenching or grinding your teeth at night? This common condition is called bruxism, and it can cause damage to your teeth and jaw if left untreated.
Luckily, you can do a few things to help manage your nighttime bruxism.
This blog post will tell you everything you need to know about bruxism and how you can manage it.
What Is Bruxism and Why Should You Care?
Bruxism is the medical term for grinding, gnashing, or clenching your teeth. It is considered a sleep disorder and can occur during the day or night.
Many people with bruxism are unaware that they are doing it unless someone tells them.
While most people occasionally grind or clench their teeth, bruxism is habitual and can occur every night. It can cause numerous side effects, including headaches, jaw pain, and damage to your teeth.
What Are the Causes of Nighttime Bruxism?
There are many potential causes of bruxism, but the exact cause is unknown. It may be due to a combination of physical, psychological, and genetic factors.
Some potential causes include:
Stress: This is the most common factor linked to bruxism. Stress can be caused by work, family, or personal problems.
Anxiety: People with anxiety disorders may grind their teeth or clench their jaw as a way to relieve tension.
Depression: Like anxiety, depression may also lead to bruxism.
Sleep disorders: Bruxism is more common in people with sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea.
Medications: Certain medications, such as antidepressants and stimulants, can increase the risk of bruxism.
Genetics: Bruxism may run in families.
Age: Bruxism is more common in children and young adults.
Substance abuse: Excessive use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or even caffeine can increase your bruxism cycles.
What Are the Effects of Nighttime Bruxism?
Nighttime bruxism can have a number of negative side effects. The most common are:
Headaches: Bruxism can cause headaches and jaw pain.
Earache
Tooth damage: Bruxism can damage teeth and lead to tooth loss.
Gum disease
Jaw problems: Bruxism can cause temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), a condition that causes pain in the jaw joint and muscles.
How Can You Manage Your Nighttime Bruxism?
Nighttime bruxism can be painful and irritable for your mouth and neck. And people often find it difficult to manage its pain and symptoms.
Still, there are a few things you can do to help relieve the pain and alleviate your symptoms.
Home Tips for Prevention & Pain Relief
The following things can be done at home to help manage your nighttime bruxism.
Stay away from hard edibles such as candies, popcorn, nuts, and chips. Eating hard foods can increase the pressure on your teeth and make bruxism worse.
Don't consume sticky foods like chew gum, peanut butter, and chocolate spread at night time.
Relax before bedtime. Taking some time to relax before bed can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are known triggers of bruxism.
Stress is one of the most common triggers of bruxism. So, it's important to find ways to manage stress. Try relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation.
Try to sleep on your back. This will put your body in a neutral position, and your jaw will not be under any kind of pressure or physical stress.
Physical activity or exercise greatly reduces stress and anxiety (major triggers of bruxism). So, make sure to exercise regularly.
When in pain, use an ice pack or heating pad. Applying ice or heat to the jaw can help relieve the pain caused by bruxism.
Getting enough sleep is important for overall health. It can also help prevent bruxism. Have trouble sleeping? Try natural remedies to sleep better.
Medical and Dental Treatments for Sleep Bruxism
If home remedies don't work, medical and dental treatments can help. Let's study a few of them.
Botox Treatment
Botox is a type of muscle relaxant that can be injected into the jaw muscles to help relieve tension and allow easy jaw movement.
A typical treatment involves injecting botox on both sides, which takes less than 30 minutes to perform.
Reductive Coronoplasty
Reductive coronoplasty is a type of dental surgery that involves removing the damaged enamel or slightly reshaping the biting surface of your teeth. This procedure can help if misaligned, crowded, or crooked teeth are triggering your bruxism.
Your doctor might also suggest the exact opposite of this procedure — additive coronoplasty (building up or adding missing teeth surfaces).
What procedure is used will depend on the condition of your teeth.
Mouthguards
Mouthguards are designed to protect your teeth from grinding-induced damage. They can be custom-made by your dentist or bought over the counter. Putney Dental Care states that using a mouthguard for bruxism is one of the most simple yet effective remedies for the condition.
Please consult your medical professional to diagnose Bruxism. This site content is provided for informational purposes only, and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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