Are you Grinding Your Teeth While You Sleep?

Stress can manifest itself in many ways throughout the body. While chest pains, hair loss and stomach upset are familiar side effects of stress, your body may also be responding with bruxism. Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding or teeth clenching, is a common habit, but it is also one that can ruin your oral health if left unchecked.

Reports show that teeth grinding is most often performed during bouts of anxiety or stress. Unfortunately, this subconscious habit typically occurs during nighttime sleep, which can make it hard to diagnose. But since bruxism puts tremendous amounts of pressure on the teeth, gums and jaw, it can produce some very noticeable symptoms during the day.

It is important to know the signs and symptoms of teeth grinding so that you can get preventative care before irreversible damage is done to your smile.

Are you grinding or clenching your teeth during your sleep? Ask yourself whether or not you are experiencing the following setbacks when you wake up?

• Tension headaches
• Tight or sore facial and jaw muscles
• Painful jaw upon movement
• A popping or clicking sound in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
• Locking of your jaw
• Overly sensitive teeth
• Worn teeth
• Damage to the inside of your cheek
• Flat, smooth areas on the biting surfaces of the teeth

At Gainesville Dental Group, we urge patients to recognize teeth grinding first. If efforts to minimize daily stress do not resolve your bruxism symptoms, however, consider a custom nightguard. We offer oral appliances that can comfortably protect your teeth from the damaging forces of teeth grinding throughout the night. Call our clinic today to find jaw pain relief!

Posted on behalf of Gainesville Dental Group