Stress can take a toll on you in more ways than one. You could lose weight, or gain some, and then there are the dreaded wrinkles. But another drawback to stress could damage your teeth. Bruxism is a condition wherein you grind your teeth excessively or gnash your teeth up to a point wherein your teeth would become worn down.
What is teeth grinding?
The condition known as teeth grinding or bruxism is something which develops slowly over time and is often unknown to the sufferer for the reason that grinding episodes often happen when you are unconscious such as when you are asleep. And even when you do brux in broad daylight, it’s still possible that you might still be oblivious to your grinding. Teeth grinding is caused by a number of factors including stress, overstimulation and the development of a malocclusion which could change the way that your teeth has been arranged.
How do you know that you have teeth grinding?
Knowing that you have teeth grinding could be a problem given that the episodes happen when you are asleep. On the other hand, there are a couple of signs and symptoms that you would normally develop when you have bruxism. This includes headaches early in the morning, as well as jaw tenderness. At the same time, the action of grinding your teeth would also lead to noise which may be evident to the person that is sleeping next to you, if there is one. You may also start to develop teeth sensitivity after some time as a result of the friction caused by the rubbing of your teeth.
How can you treat teeth grinding?
Teeth grinding is something which you cannot manage to treat immediately. In fact, some individuals suffer with teeth grinding for lengthy periods of their life especially if the underlying cause for the condition is either due to malocclusion or to stress. To correct a malocclusion, you would have to wear braces, and the treatment period of this oral appliance spans from one to two years. Stress can be addressed by relaxation techniques which also require some time for a person to master.
As a more immediate way to treat the condition, then your dentist can come up with custom-made mouth guards or bite guards for you. The mouth guards will serve as a protective barrier for your teeth that can serve to cushion your pearly whites from the friction generated as you grind your teeth.
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