Many of us seem to be grinding teeth because of stress or anxiety. This is a known fact, however few of us do know that this particular habit is called bruxism and it mostly takes place during the sleep. The annoying thing is that while many do it, only a few people are actually aware that they have this problem, and this is what leads to the fact that numerous people find out about the issue only when they visit their dentist.
However, teeth grinding is not always caused by stress, in fact there are numerous other causes, and one of them is the misalignment of teeth for example.
When it comes to the effects of teeth grinding, it all depends on how much grinding the teeth are actually supposed to. Mostly, this particular problem doesn’t live that long if the person grinds teeth on a shorter term. However, longer term effects are much worse. In the long run, teeth grinding can wear the natural teeth down and lead to numerous problems. These range from broken fillings to higher tooth sensitivity, jaw point damage and various other problems. Such problems occur in sleep, when the biting force is much higher, and thus, the damage caused by this problem can be a severe one.
As you can see, there are numerous problems that can be caused by grinding teeth. So, how can we stop this? One good measure to take in this regard is the reduced consumption of various stimulants such as tobacco and caffeine, but being more relaxed will also come in handy too. This is why it’s beneficial to avoid any type of stressful situation, since these can cause you many problems in your life, in general.
Another fix that many dentists propose is the use of a mouth guard that will prevent teeth from touching one another and thus there won’t be any teeth grinding. The mouth guard brings another benefit too, and that comes from the fact that it will help you move your jaw into the correct position and induce a sense of relaxation that you will like for sure. Some studies have shown that a mouth guard can also help to prevent snoring.
Tooth sensitivity can also lead to this problem and in many situations, it can actually aggravate it. If you suffer from such an issue, you will have to use X-rays in order to combat the problem. Talk to your dentist and make sure that you find a suitable solution for grinding teeth, as this is essential.
In conclusion, teeth grinding is an issue that many people tend to encounter, but the main problem comes from the fact that it can’t actually be diagnosed in time in most situations. This is why carefully monitoring your habits might help you determine if you suffer from this condition. By using the solutions explained in this article you should have no problem diminishing the bad results of teeth grinding and, in time, you might even learn how to stop grinding your teeth completely!
