People pick up bad habits in all stages of life, many of which begin at a young age. Teeth grinding is one of those things you may do, and don’t have a clue when it’s taking place – mostly because you are asleep when it happens. To help break this damaging practice, you might want to get familiar with home remedies for teeth grinding.
What is Teeth Grinding?
Teeth grinding involves any type of forceful contact between the teeth. It can be silent or make a loud, grating noise [1]. Since grinding the teeth usually occurs when someone is sleeping, most people are unaware of this habit. It isn’t until unexplainable symptoms (commonly associated with teeth grinding) start to arise that an individual is alerted to a potentially damaging problem. A chronic teeth grinding habit can cause many different dental issues and lead to physical damage to the jaw and face.
Causes and Symptoms
Stress is one of the most common causes of teeth grinding. Most doctors believe stress causes a disruption in the sleep cycle that can lead to grinding the teeth while sleeping. People will also grind their teeth because of the following reasons:
• Anger – Pent-up feelings of anger and frustration can cause a person to grind their teeth.
• Improper alignment of teeth – The misalignment of the upper and lower teeth can cause a person to grind their chops because they have trouble making proper contact with one another.
• Jaw and teeth development issues – The growth process of the jaw and teeth can cause children to grind their teeth. Typical causes include itchy gum region during the growing stages and the misalignment of growing upper and lower molars. This commonly happens in kids under the age of seven.
• Parkinson’s or Huntington disease – Diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Huntington disease can cause a person to grind their teeth in the daytime or at night. Parkinson’s affects the central nervous system and a person’s motor skills. Huntington disease is a neurological condition that hinders movement coordination in a patient.
• Medications and drugs – A lot of doctors suspect that there are certain drugs and medications that can trigger teeth grinding, such as prescriptions that treat depressions and other psychiatric medications.
You can tell that you are grinding your teeth by some of the symptoms that eventually develop. You may experience flattened, worn down, chipped teeth. Tooth sensitivity becomes an issue and you flinch when coming in contact with extremely hot or cold liquids and/or foods. You may experience unexplainable earaches and headaches. Pain and tightness in the jaws and muscles can develop. Other symptoms of teeth grinding include facial pains, damaged cheek tissue (you bite the inside of your cheek in your sleep), and exposed enamel.
Teeth Grinding Home Remedies
It’s important to put an end to teeth grinding to lessen the overall damage and effect on your life. The bad habit can cause jaw pains, chipped dentures, worn or broken teeth, receding gums, chronic headaches, and lack of sleep. People who grind their teeth too forcefully are at a higher risk for developing TMJ disorder. Some of the following home remedies for teeth grinding will involve changing your lifestyle habits:
a) Mouth Guard:
If you are unable to get a fitted mouth guard from your dentist, some people have resorted to sleeping with a sporting mouth guard when they suffer from extreme teeth grinding at night.
b) Water for Children:
Some children grind their teeth at night because they are dehydrated. Make sure they drink plenty of water during the day.
c) Stress Management:
Learning how to relax the body before going to bed can help prevent teeth grinding in the middle of the night. Take a warm bath or sip on a cup of warm milk for a calming effect. For children, read their favorite book.
d) Herbal Tea:
Soothing tea, like chamomile, can encourage a better night’s sleep and discourage teeth grinding.
e) Sleep on Your Back:
Sleeping on your back (instead of on your side or stomach) can lessen your susceptibility to teeth grinding. This position will help take some pressure off of your teeth and reduce your damaging habit.
f) Apples and Carrots:
Snacking on apple slices and carrot sticks before going to bed can help calm your mouth. You will be less likely to grind your teeth. To exercise your mouth and gums, you can also choose other crunchy fruits and vegetables, such as raw cauliflower.
g) Warm Washcloth:
Place a washcloth dipped in lukewarm water around your face – especially underneath the earlobe to treat head pains associated with teeth grinding at night.
h) Soak in a Bath:
Slip into a warm bath for pampering relaxation that can soothe the body and help prevent grinding of the teeth in the middle of the night.
i) Olive Oil Massage:
To counteract the stresses of the day and help prevent teeth grinding at night, enjoy a warm massage with heated olive oil (or aromatherapy lotion).
j) Avoid Stimulants at Night [2]:
Drinking coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages before going to bed can place you in a state that will worsen your teeth grinding.
k) No Smoking:
To avoid the worsening of your teeth grinding at night, do not smoke a cigarette before hitting the sack. The stimulating chemicals found in tobacco can create a restless body that is more prone to grinding teeth.
l) Herbal Tea:
A cup of herbal tea before going to bed can help ease the tension that can lead to teeth grinding. Choose relaxing options, such as lavender and chamomile.
m) Supplements:
The supplements that best prevent teeth grinding is calcium and magnesium, which should be taken together before going to bed.
n) Breathe Deeply:
Deep breathing techniques can help your body relax before you go to bed. This can lead to the elimination of stress that can contribute to teeth grinding in the middle of the night. Try a few breathing exercises for a couple of minutes before going to sleep. This will help relax tired muscles.
Resources
[1] http://www.medicinenet.com/teeth_grinding_bruxism/article.htm
[2] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bruxism/DS00337/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies
