What to Do About Teeth Clenching at Night
When you wake up in the morning, do you suffer from a headache? Do you find that you have a sore neck or a sore jaw? If so, it is likely that you have a condition known as bruxism. Yes, the name sounds scary, but the condition itself is characterized by the action of clenching or grinding your teeth throughout the day and/or night. Most people will clench their teeth when they sleep and they have no idea that they are even doing it. This may be the same situation with you.
Bruxism is a common condition and many patients we see here at C S Family Dental have it. You do not have to be ashamed or embarrassed about it and there are ways to correct the condition. When you come in for a consultation with Dr. Sohn, he will look over your teeth to identify any damage done from the clenching. From here, he will recommend the next steps you need to take to prevent is from occurring. Many times, we will provide you with a mouth guard, so that if you do clench your teeth at night, you do not damage your teeth.
Bruxism can be stopped, but you do need to know what is causing you to experience it. Stress is often a factor and can be the sole reason. Below, we will explore some ways that you can alleviate pain from clenching and ways you can prevent bruxism altogether.
1. Custom Mouth Guard
Above we briefly mentioned that we often give you a mouth guard if you do have bruxism. This is because the mouth guard will prevent you from grinding your teeth on each other and this wills top any more damage from occurring. A custom mouth guard is formed to the shape and size of your mouth. When you come into our office, you will be fitted for a custom guard and Dr. Sohn will send the impressions to the lab to be made. You do not have to worry about the mouth guard moving around inside of your mouth, as it will provide a snug fit.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help relax your body and steer you clear from bruxism. If you like the idea of home remedies, then this may be the right choice for you. Acupuncture will alleviate stress in your body and this procedure has been known to help lead people to relief from diseases and more. There is not harm to try it and if it works for you, the results are immediate.
3. Muscle Relaxer
While you may not want to take any medications, a muscle relaxer will be prescribed to you if other methods do not work. This medication will work to calm your muscles down and provide you with the relief you need from bruxism. This method does work wonders because the medication will relax individual muscles, especially when you experience any clenching.
4. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine Before Bed
Alcohol and coffee act as stimulants in your body and this means that they can cause you to feel stressed or anxious when you head to bed. This then leads to teeth clenching as you sleep.
5. Reduce Stress as Much as You Can
Bruxism is often caused by stressed and you want to try and eliminate it as much as you can. This means that you should learn how to better handle stress and you should alleviate some of the tasks you have to do to manage stress efficiently. The less tress you experience, the less likely you will experience bruxism.
6. Dental Procedures
Sometimes, the above solutions do not work and different measures need to be taken. Dr. Sohn will recommend the appropriate dental procedures to help fix the problem for you.
If you are ready to talk about your bruxism and find a solution for it, contact C S Family Dental today to schedule an appointment.
