Bruxism or teeth grinding is one of most damaging forms of dental disorders. This condition is usually difficult to detect in the early stages as the patient is completely oblivious of this habit. It leads to clenching and grinding of the teeth along with extreme jaw movements. You can suffer facial pain due to the clenching - clamping the top and bottom teeth together. This stressful act puts pressure on the muscles, tissues and the areas around the jaw. It can lead to serious problems like jaw joint disorders, jaw pain, headaches, earaches, damaged teeth and many others. This continuous form of grinding damages the teeth completely. This condition is very common among children but it is not only restricted to them. It is a very common problem among people with Fibromyalgia Syndrome. The teeth clenching and teeth grinding may lead to Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ).
Home Remedies for Bruxism
Before retiring to bed you can chew on an apple, cauliflower or carrot. This will calm your overactive mouth and prevent grinding.
To relax your jaw muscles use a warm washcloth around the sides of your face. Continue doing this for sometime. This will relax the clenched muscles that cause head pain. Do it before bedtime to benefit more.
Be relaxed and avoid stress by taking warm baths and massages. Massage your neck muscles, shoulders and face to relax peacefully. Stress relieving exercises should help you unwind. Squeeze a tennis ball; it may come in handy to get rid of the stress.
Sleeping on your side or your stomach may increase your chances of bruxism. The best position to sleep is on your back to reduce the stress.
Use contoured pillow if you can't sleep on your back. Place the contoured pillow under you face and the ordinary pillow between your arms. Sleeping in this position reduces the strain on your jaw and neck and prevents you from rolling over onto your face.
Avoid consumption of alcohol as it inadvertently affects your sleep and increases the movement of your jaw which causes clenching. Cut down on caffeine and carbohydrates like candy and pastries.
Try acupressure, it may help you relax for a good night sleep thus avoiding any incidents of teeth clenching or grinding.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.