Having a good sleep is one of the most essential part of our lives. Quality sleep helps us recharge our batteries and have the strength and will to complete all daily tasks and obligations. Sleep directly affects our mental and physical performance or simply said our overall health and increases stress levels. Because of stress, some people develop high blood pressure, have headaches and cannot sleep at night, wake up periodically or even worse, grind their teeth.
Grinding teeth in sleep or medically known as bruxism usually happens during sleep. With time, grinding can damage teeth or even worse, cause other oral health complications. However, grinding teeth in sleep can be reduced and prevented with the use of home-made remedies or with certain medical treatments. Read on to find out what are the signs of teeth grinding and some unique ways that will help you stop grinding teeth in sleep.
One of the most common teeth grinding symptoms are constant headaches and sore jaw. Aside from these, the best way to find out if you are a teeth grinder is to ask your partner. If true, talk immediately to your dentist because if this is a chronic teeth grinding, it can result in loosening, fracturing or even in loss of teeth. If this happens, you will need to wear crowns, bridges, implants, partial or even complete dentures. Your dentist will examine your mouth, jaw and teeth, and if there are signs of teeth grinding, he/she will advise you on some options how to stop grinding.
One of the best ways to stop teeth grinding caused by stress is by attending stress counseling, seeing a physical therapist, starting an exercise program or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants that can reduce all the above symptoms caused by teeth grinding.
Besides these tips, take a look at some other unique ways that will help you stop teeth grinding:
- Avoid alcohol because teeth grinding is more intense after alcohol consumption;
- Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine, like chocolate, coffee and Coca Cola;
- Avoid chewing pencils or anything that is not food. Even chewing a gum can be dangerous because as you chew, the jaw muscles get used to clenching, so you are more likely to grind your teeth when sleeping;
- At night, relax the jaw muscles by holding a warm cloth on your cheek;
- Train yourself not to grind or clench. If you notice that you clench your teeth during the day, place the tip of your tongue between the teeth. This way you will relax your jaw muscles.
- Wear a sleep apnea moutpiece – If none of the above tips help, your dentist may recommend a sleep apnea moutpiece or betetr known as a mouth guard. The mouth guard will fit properly and comfortably inside your mouth and will create a protective layer between your teeth and help you stop grinding teeth in sleep.
These are just few ways that can help you stop grinding teeth in sleep. All kinds of mouth guards, nasal pillows, nose strips, sleep apnea moutpiece and many other devices related to grinding and sleep apnea, can be found in reliable specialized online stores. Besides the wide range of sleep apnea moutpiece devices, online suppliers offer professional help from trustworthy doctors who can examine you and tell you which device is the best for your medical condition.
