Teeth grinding or clenching jaw at night is known also as bruxism by medical professionals. It commonly affects those who are in deep sleep. In the long run, clenching jaw at night, when ignored, can ruin your teeth and may lead to other related health issues.
However, you may lessen the pain with some of the known home remedies together with the continued help of your dentist. So, how do you actually stop clenching jaw at night? Here are some tips to ponder:
Make Sure That It Is Bruxism
Understand the bruxism very well. Bruxism is a medical condition wherein a patient gnashes, clenches, and grinds his teeth unknowingly especially during his sleep. Sleep bruxism is a medical syndrome of grinding teeth at night. It is usually associated with everyday stress. More so, some even do clench or grind their teeth or jaw even during daytime; however, bruxism usually happens at night while the patient is asleep. For this reason, having bruxism can sometimes be hard to diagnose.
Observe Any Symptoms When You Wake Up
Clenching of jaw or teeth grinding happens at night, so it is only possible for you to observe any symptoms when you wake up in the morning. It may be hard to know that you clench or grind your teeth by yourself; however, there are some visible signs that might show that you did clench your jaw during the night:
- A constant and dull headache as soon as you wake up
- Sore Jaw
- While sleeping, you might be able to hear audible teeth grinding sounds
- Tooth sensitivity to brushing, cold and heat
- Gingivitis or inflammation of your gums
- Some small wounds inside your cheeks from biting
- Ask Your Partner
If you have your partner sleeping in the same bed, just ask her or him if he heard you clenching the jaw or grinding teeth during the night. Ask a favor if she can wake up earlier than you usually wake up or sleep later than you so that she can observe for any signs of jaw clenching.
- 5 Ways On How To Stop Clenching Your Jaw
- Easy To Spot Jaw Clenching Symptoms
- Temporomandibular Joint or TMJ Definition
If you live alone but really need to know that you are clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth, then you may want to record yourself while you sleep during the night so that you can listen to any sound you make while sleeping.
Consult Your Dentist
If you think you have been clenching your jaw, consult your dentist immediately. They may be able to know if you suffer from bruxism by examining your jaw and mouth for any symptoms like worn-down teeth or tenderness in your jaw.
Once you learn that you are suffering from bruxism, there are home remedies that may be done as well as professional treatments that can definitely cure your health condition. Your dentist might also observe or confirm if you are really not suffering from any other medical disorders that may cause pain like:
- Ear infections or disorders
- Dental disorders
- TMD or Temporomandibular disorders