FAQ’s regarding teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism)
Teeth Clenching/Teeth Grinding – A Detailed Overview
While sleeping normally, the jaws of most people usually stay separated and relaxed. However, a few people contract their jaw muscles till they come into contact and the teeth grind moving horizontally against other teeth and creating a grinding movement. As a result, jaws exert an enormous amount of pressure which, along with the teeth movement, causes sharp pains and damages the teeth. When the habit of teeth grinding and clenching is severe enough to cause damage, such a condition is known as bruxism.
Although most people clench during the night, some indulge in this habit in the daytime too. It is easier to observe and prevent teeth grinding during daytime by relaxing your jaws consciously…
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What Causes Teeth Grinding?
Most people clench and grind their teeth under stress. Teeth misalignment as well as drug use can also cause people to grind. Missing teeth in the mouth can also lead to teeth misalignment and bruxing. Infants frequently clench and rub their jaws together while teething as they feel discomfort and pain in their gums. Other children get used to the circulating motion of their jaws when using a pacifier. They continue doing this even after the pacifier is removed. Children having earache may also grind and clench their teeth. Children (as well as adults) , who are hyperactive also have a greater chance of indulging in teeth grinding.
It can be extremely difficult to find out the exact cause for bruxism, especially if the bruxism is associated with stress. Due to this reason, most dentists advise habitual teeth grinders to safeguard their teeth from additional damage using a dental guard immediately after they are diagnosed with teeth grinding or bruxism…
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Symptoms and Signs of Bruxism
Many people usually do not learn about their teeth grinding habit until their dentist tells them that they have worn out or lose teeth or cracked enamel. Many people feel severe pain in their eyes, neck and jaw and have throbbing morning headaches after grinding teeth at night. Unfortunately, people cannot do not often relate their headaches and pain with their teeth grinding habit unless they learn about it from their family dentist. This habit also leads to poor sleep and is believed to be a sleep disorder…
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Do I need to use a Dental Night Guard?
When diagnosed with bruxism, using a good dental guard should be your first step towards correcting this condition. Despite of what advertisements claim, mouth guards are not able to treat bruxism. All they do is prevent the teeth from coming into contact or grinding against one another. However, the dental guard is sufficient to treat those who only grind under stress. As soon as their stress is over, so is their habit of grinding teeth.
The most fundamental reason to use a dental guard immediately is to prevent any additional damage to your teeth. Searching for the exact cause for teeth grinding may take quite long.
Many kinds of dental guards are available in the market. They are different from each other with regard to the quality of material used and the comfort they offer. The best mouth guards are tailor-made according to individual needs of patients. Even though your personal dentist can make a dental guard for your after taking a dental impression of your set of teeth, the fee he will ask for his service will often be extremely high and most people will not be able to afford it. Several dental labs are now offering tailor-made dental guards of an identical quality as that you will get from your dentist. As a matter of fact, the same labs manufacture the dental guards you get from your dentist. You will be able to save a considerable amount of money if you bypass your dentist and make the impression yourself with the help of the instructions provided to you by the dental lab…
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What is Biofeedback and how is it useful for me?
Biofeedback is the only appliance on the market which is able to effectively treat your condition and help you discontinue your habit. This appliance functions according to the ‘Pavlovian reflex’ principle. It emits a soft sound every time it senses tension in the jaw muscle and trains them to relax. The most popular device in this category is the biofeedback headband. It is very simple to use and, as stated by many satisfied users, is able to stop the grinding habit very quickly…
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How do I stop nighttime teeth grinding?
Is your habit of sleep grinding hindering your sleep every night? People are sometimes very surprised to learn about their habit of constant teeth grinding. Though some people grind teeth without any harmful consequences, around one in every ten Americans are in the habit of grinding teeth to an extent that it can result in severe damage. Many other common effects of teeth clenching or grinding is jaw pain, pressure headaches or migraines, jaw inflammation or TMJ, pain in eyes, neck and other areas. Teeth grinding can turn into a critical condition if not treated or its underlying causes are left unaddressed. If you learn about your habit of teeth grinding, try to find out as much information possible regarding this habit along with methods to handle it as well as treat it…
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