Do you suffer from Teeth Grinding?
Causes of teeth grinding and resulting health issues.
Teeth grinding or Bruxism is a prevalent manifestation of mental anxiety or stress. It happens mostly while you are asleep as a result of a build-up of tension in the jaw muscles.
This tension in the jaw can result in intermittent toothache, aching of the jaw muscles or damage to the jaw joint. Your teeth can become chipped or worn as a result of opposing teeth rubbing together, leading to a weakening of your tooth enamel.
Over some time teeth can become brittle and sensitive — other symptoms of Bruxism, maybe gum recession, migraine headaches and tinnitus.
Solutions for patients suffering from teeth grinding
Grinding of your teeth can be resolved by some passive and active techniques. Yoga, Pilates and Mindfulness are beneficial in reducing muscle tension, as are massage, physiotherapy and ultrasound treatment.
Ultimately, if these techniques are not sufficient, it may be necessary to consider a type of mouthguard to be worn at night. This will help protect the teeth and jaw from the effects of clenching and grinding. The guard may vary from a simple rubber gum shield (similar to a sports guard) to a hard acrylic-based mouth guard designed to ‘reprogramme’ the bite and break the grinding habit.
Garden Square Dental is well versed in dealing with this problem and can offer complementary therapies as an adjunct to mouth guard/splint therapy, including acupuncture, hypnotherapy, CBT and homoeopathy.
If you suffer from clenching or grinding of your teeth, please call the practice on 020 7229 8716 to speak with a dentist or to book an appointment.