Bruxism is a condition that is characterized by grinding teeth. Most people with this condition don’t even know they have it and only realize when they begin seeing the effects. This is because jaw clenching for many occurs at night or when in an unconscious state and not during the day making it quite difficult for one to realize the condition. If left untreated, bruxism can lead to dire consequences health wise and emotionally.
Do you find that you wake up with a headache or tend to experience some pain around your temples? Well, you might be a night clencher. Below are other ways that you can recognize if you suffer from bruxism.
Jaw Clenching Symptoms
Clenching your jaw is not something that you can really hide or be unaware of for a very long time. This is because the effects are quite clear and just like car tires loose their tread marks due to wear and tear, so do your teeth. Below are signs of this rather perplexing condition:
- Worn out or flattening teeth
- Constant tension headaches
- Sensitive teeth
- Hurting jaw especially in the morning and when chewing
- Painful teeth especially in the morning
- Insomnia
- Ear aches
- Dental disorders or uneven teeth
Clenching teeth at night is an activity that will without a doubt leave you sore in the morning. The best way to recognize whether or not you clench your teeth at night is to observe how you feel in the morning. If you wake up with tired or painful jaws, a temple headache and painful teeth, these are sure signs of bruxism. Other ways you can identify this condition is by paying special attention to your teeth. If you notice flattening or dental disorders such as poor teeth alignment and chipping, you may be a clencher.
A dentist or TMJ specialist can help diagnose this condition through a series of tests.
Bruxism Treatment
There is no bruxism condition that is incurable and that is regardless of whether you have been jaw clenching for the past few months or years. With the right treatment, you will be on your way to full recovery. One of the easiest ways to control bruxism is by putting on a mouth guard. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work especially with people who have been having this condition for years. There are both clinical and natural treatment options you can try out. Some of the medical treatment options for jaw clenching include injections especially for those with severe cases, muscle relaxants and anti depressants as well.
Most of the time doctors are only dealing with the symptoms and not the actual causes of clenching which are largely psychological. That said, there are various TMJ therapies that can be used and these include jaw massaging and cognitive behavior therapy. The latter is one of the best treatment options as it seeks to deal with the root cause of the problem. This TMJ treatment also helps the patient come up with suitable relaxation techniques that will help manage anxiety and other causes of the jaw clenching.
There is hope and you do not have to live with this condition forever. The sooner you get help, the faster you can recover. There has also been a lot of great reviews on Dental Pro 7 and many have tried it for RISK FREE. Click to learn more about Dental Pro 7.
