Thursday, January 22, 2009

Helpful Information Regarding Teeth Grinding

By Chris Channing

Grinding one's teeth at night is more common than most would think- although it should be temporary at best. Called Bruxism, a long term habit of doing this will wear down teeth to the point where operations will have to be made to save them. To avoid such troubles, there are some tips to follow.

Being stessed out has been linked to many health conditions, and now teeth grinding is added to the list. In addition, caffeine, drugs, and alcohol should also be avoided to help improve the odds teeth grinding doesn't continue. Sleep is another important factor, since a well rested body is less likely to be stressed, and thus, cause the condition. Try to keep the jaw as relaxed as possible throughout the day as well.

Much of teeth grinding cases are done while one is sleeping, so it's hard to tell if one even has a problem with it. The early warning signs are a constant low, dull, headache. This may also come with tenderness of the jaw, tooth pain, or bleeding. In each case, there is likely to be some type of damage already done to the teeth, and reconstructive work may be in order to fix it.

The good news is that teeth grinding can be prevented by using a special night guard. Night guards are usually only for serious cases, as most can be prevented through stress control and proper dieting and sleeping habits. Regardless, night guards are generally inexpensive and obtaining them just to be sure the problem is long gone is a good idea.

It's good to note that teeth grinding in children is usually temporary. This happens most as new teeth are coming in. To counteract the achiness , grinding is usually exhibited until permanent teeth come in. If afterwards children still show signs of teeth grinding, it's important to get the child a night guard until proper habits can be observed to end the process.

The real solution to the problem here is going to be to solve what's truly causing the grinding. Studies show that teeth grinding is linked to anxiety, and that most who grind their teeth during the day have the problem at night as well. Try putting your tongue between your teeth each time you get the urge to grind your teeth- it will help teach good habits and prevent such things happening at night as well.

In Conclusion

Getting over a case of teeth grinding can sometimes take a few weeks, if not more. It's always nice to have a night guard to protect from further damage until better habits are learned. To ensure the problem doesn't persist, keep up the routine indefinitely for bets results. - 16650

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