Dentists in Methuen with Bruxism Tips
Chronic teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can be one of the most difficult situations that the patients of your dentists in Methuen may deal with.
Every day, and more so- every night, patients with bruxism must do all they can to prevent teeth grinding to not see the negative impact, including:
- Tooth loss. Structural Damage. Teeth Cracking. Joint Damage. And more.
And while there are night guards, nightly mouth guards that can help a patient from grinding at night, we find that there are some other techniques that could work as well. For that very reason, today we have listed some other tips and tricks to help stop your grinding, or at least lessen the impact is having on you:
Consciously space your teeth: whenever you are awake, try to keep a space between your upper and lower teeth at all times. The only real time you should have your teeth touching is when you are chewing foods. It may be a hard habit to get into, but it cannot only stop you from automatically grinding during the day, but could translate into nightly prevention as well.
Try this jaw exercise: put your fist under your chin, open and close the mouth, then press your chin tightly down against your first as your fist pushes up. Utilizing these muscles and joints can reduce tightness you may have in your jaw from grinding, as well as help relax or tire the jaw from wanting to grind.
Take pain relievers: if you are suffering from the related chronic headaches that can coincide with bruxism, try taking OTC pain relievers for this and any other ache. There has been no positive link between medicines like muscle relaxers or anti-anxiety medication doing anything to help the urge to grind- so they are not recommended compared to regular aspirin.
If none of these strategies help your bruxism, try talking to your dentists in Methuen about the benefit of stress relief therapy, behavioral modification, massage and even surgery as options.
Schedule an appointment with your dentists in Methuen today by calling (978) 683-3343.
