As bruxism often occurs during sleep, most people do not know that they grind their teeth. If you wake with a dull headache or a sore jaw, you may be grinding your teeth at night.

Follow these tips to help prevent teeth grinding:

• Avoid or reduce ingesting foods and drinks that contain caffeine, like coffee, chocolate, and soda.
• Avoid alcohol ingestion.
• Do not chew on pencils, pens, and other non-food objects.
• If you grinding or clenching your teeth during the day, place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This trains your jaw muscles to relax.
• Hold a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of the earlobe to relax your jaw muscles at night.

Talk to our dentist if you think that you have a teeth grinding problem. Your jaw can be examined for signs of bruxism, like wear on the teeth and jaw tenderness. If needed, our dentist can provide a custom-made night guard, a covering worn over the teeth to protect them from injury from teeth grinding. To learn more about bruxism and to schedule an appointment with our dentist, contact our office today.

The post Avoiding Bruxism first appeared on MI Roots Family Dental.

To help you better understand teeth grinding, we have provided information on the causes, risks, and treatments associated with bruxism:

Causes
There are many things that can cause teeth grinding. Some of the causes include stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, an abnormal bite, missing teeth, or crooked teeth. For children, causes generally involve irritations in the mouth, allergies, and teeth misalignments. Even though teeth grinding is a very scary habit and it should be treated immediately, children tend to grow out of the habit by the time they are teens.

Risks
If you do not treat this dangerous habit, your teeth could be severely damaged. You will also suffer from dull headaches, jaw soreness, loose teeth, and fractured chompers.

Treatments
Treatments for the teeth-grinding habit vary depending on the cause. Generally, night guards are the first treatment offered. Night guards should be worn while you sleep so when you clench and grind your teeth, your smile will be protected. Another treatment is relaxation medicine. This medicine will help you relax, which will help you avoid clenching and grinding. Other treatments include orthodontics, counseling, and exercise.

If you have any questions or if you would like to talk to Dr. Joseph Szymczak about your chances of participating in this habit, please call MI Roots Family Dental today and schedule an appointment. All you need to do is dial 616-453-0002 and we will be there to help you. We look forward to hearing from you!

The post All About Teeth Grinding first appeared on MI Roots Family Dental.