How to Treat Bruxism

Bruxism is the medical term for grinding ones teeth. This is a condition that can affect anyone--men, women and children. The cause of teeth grinding can be mental. People often grind their teeth in times of stress or emotional distress but many times the sufferers don't know they are doing it because it happens during sleep. This is the most common form of bruxism known as sleep bruxism.Teeth grinding doesn't just effect the teeth, but it hurts the muscles, tissue and bones if it gets bad enough. Some of the symptoms those with bruxism experience include headaches, toothaches, tooth damage, face pain, jaw pain, earaches, and anxiety.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• dentist

1. Assess your symptoms in the morning. Because most bruxism happens during sleep, the physical pain or sensation is most noticeable in the morning.
2. Look at your teeth to see if there is damage.
3. Contact a dentist to talk about your options for repairing teeth and how to lessen the damage the teeth grinding has on your physical health. The dentist will assess the damage and she will be able create a mouth guard for you. You will wear the guard at night and it keeps you from causing further damage.
4. Reduce your alcohol use. Professionals agree that drinking alcohol can worsen symptoms.
5. Talk to your family doctor about your anxiety and/or depression levels. This is a common cause of the disorder. Your doctor might recommend that you speak to a psychologist or counselor or prescribe medication to help with your mental issues. Only your doctor can assess your mental health.
6. Partake in physical activities that help reduce your stress. Walking, jogging, swimming or any other physical activity can help manage and decrease your stress.

Tips & Warnings

• It's important to see both your family doctor and dentist when it comes to managing your teeth grinding because of the physical and mental factors involved.