Grinding Teeth! AKA Bruxism

Causes!

1. Stress

Stress is the most common reason for bruxism. Most doctors suppose that stress is the primary cause of teeth grinding during sleep. Stress can disrupt a person's sleeping cycle. If a particular sleeping pattern is disrupted, the person ends up clenching their teeth unconsciously and intermittently during sleep. This is where a lot of researchers are currently focusing on, as this explanation is the one most common.

2. Frustration and suppressed anger

There are many instances that a person clenches his fist or teeth if he is very angry with somebody or something. Many psychologists believe that this is the reason why people clench their teeth during the day. Suppressed anger is wrath a person can't let out. This can be quite hard to manage. People who end up grinding their teeth in frustration or anger should consult with a qualified psychiatrist to address the problem.

3. Aggressive personality

This factor causing bruxism is related to anger and frustration. Just like the former reason, this one also deals with one's emotions. But unlike suppressed anger, aggressiveness is expressed anger. In this case, the person lets out all his frustration and anger towards the intended subject. This person may unconsciously grind their teeth in the process.

4. Abnormal alignment of teeth

The abnormal alignment of the upper and lower teeth is referred to as malocclusion. This is one of the physical causes of teeth grinding.Dental experts believe that if there is something abnormal about the structure of a person's teeth, they grind involuntarily against each other as they make contact. While this is another feasible cause of bruxism, it is yet to be confirmed with clinical studies.

5. Growth development of the teeth and jaws.

This is the common reason of bruxism in children. For kids 7 years old and under, their teeth are still in their growing stages. There are a lot of instances where the actual growing of the teeth causes itchiness in the gum area, causing kids to grind their teeth. Teeth grinding becomes the body's response to the changes happening in the jaws and the teeth.

It may also happen that as the teeth grow, the upper and lower molars don't fit together. In an attempt to make them fit comfortably with one another, teeth grinding occurs. Bruxism in children may not be very common. However, they usually outgrow this condition as their teeth improve in structure over time.

(Oh yeah, my Wisdom Teeth)

6. A complication of another disease

There are studies showing that bruxism can be caused by another disease, such as Parkinson's disease or Huntington disease. Parkinson's disease is the degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which affects the person's motor skills. Huntington's disease, on the other hand, is a neurological disorder that is characterized by lack of movement coordination. People suffering from any of these two disorders are likely to grind their teeth either during the day or at night.

7. Drugs and medications.

Several studies are being conducted to check whether certain drugs used to treat depression, as well as other similar psychiatric medications, could be the causes of bruxism. The results are yet to be published, but a lot of doctors are suspecting that these types of drugs can trigger teeth grinding.

Remedies? (:

1. Munch on an apple, carrot, or cauliflower.

Before going to bed at night, you can try chewing on any of these fruits and vegetables. Chewing is an exercise of your mouth and your gums. And it would definitely calm your mouth a little before you sleep. A calm mouth means reduced instances of teeth grinding throughout the night.

2. Use warm washcloth.

Another way of relaxing the jaw muscles of your mouth is to put a washcloth dipped in lukewarm water around your face. Make sure that the washcloth runs from one side of your face to the other. Doing this would prevent your jaws from clenching. Head pains will also be prevented. Try to practice this every night before you go to sleep and you should be able to experience total relief from teeth grinding in no time.

3. Pamper yourself with a warm massage and a warm bath.

Teeth grinding is usually triggered by a long day at the office. Stress from too much work is the main reason why you grind your teeth at night. To counter stress, allow yourself to enjoy a long warm bath before going to bed. You can also request for a warm massage right after. Doing all of these would relieve your body of stress and give you a good night's sleep.

4. Sleep on your back.

There's no best position to keep your teeth from clenching other than lying flat on your back as you sleep. Sleeping on your sides would only increase the chances that you'll do some teeth grinding activities during the night. Try to keep yourself from sleeping on your sides or on your stomach.

5. Drink warm milk or hot herbal tea before going to bed.

If you have to drink something before going to sleep, make sure that it's tea or milk. The warmer they are, the better. Never drink alcohol during the night. Doing so would only make you grind your teeth in sleep.

6. Take some calcium and magnesium supplements.

Before going to bed, make sure that you take your medications for bruxism, if you have one. If in case your doctor or the dentist did not prescribe you with anything, you can always settle for some calcium supplements and magnesium supplements. These two minerals can definitely help preventing instances of teeth grinding. Add these supplements to your daily diet.

7. Perform deep breathing techniques.

Deep breathing techniques could ease tired muscles. If your body is totally relaxed before going to sleep, you are less likely to grind your teeth while sleeping. Regularly do your breathing exercises a few minutes before going to sleep. Doing so would definitely ensure you of a restful sleep every time.

These are the home remedies for teeth grinding that you should never forget. Feel free to try one or all of them and stick to the methods most effective to you. Practicing them every night would slowly but surely help you get rid of your teeth clenching problems.