R. Kelly was onto something when he didn’t see nothin’ wrong with a little bump and grind. But keep emphasis on the word little here, especially when it comes to your teeth. Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a harmless occurrence every once in awhile but when it becomes a constant phenomenon, it could start to cause some real damage.
How to Spot and Treat Bruxism
Symptoms
Most people who grind their teeth do so while sleeping, sleep bruxism, making it difficult to know they have a problem until painful symptoms begin to appear. Others might not notice they tighten their jaw as a response to stress or anxiety. Whether they’ve noticed it or not, most people have had experience grinding their teeth. If it’s a rare occurrence, then treatment may not be necessary.
It’s time to make an appointment with your dentist if the following bruxism symptoms begin to occur:
- Fatigue and/or painful cramping in the jaw
- Deep headache in the temples
- Worn, chipped, or loose teeth
- Pain that seems like it’s associated with an earache
- Locked jaw
Treatments
The only good news about grinding your teeth is that once it’s identified, bruxism treatment is pretty simple for most people. If you’ve developed an aching in your jaw, it could take a week or more for the pain to go away. As long as bruxism hasn’t been ignored for a prolonged amount of time, allowing serious teeth damage to occur, when the pain goes away, it’s an easily managed condition.
If you’re interested in how to stop bruxism naturally here are some tips:
- Drastically reduce or cut out caffeine completely (coffee, tea, and chocolate)
- Bypass alcohol, especially right before bed
- Don’t chew on pencils, gum, or other objects
Even if you think you have found some pain relief from natural remedies, it’s still wise to visit your dentist. You may not be able to see the damage to your teeth by glimpsing into your mouth. A quick trip to the dentist can speed up the relief you will feel with bruxism treatments.
Dentists treat chronic teeth grinding by:
- Fitting patients with a mouth guard
- Correcting teeth alignment as needed
- Prescribing medications for pain
Save Grinding for the Dance Floor
Save your teeth and keep your grinding on the dance floor. If you’ve been experiencing the painful symptoms of bruxism, make an appointment online.
