Teeth grinding is a dangerous habit brought on by stress and anxiety. As mental health awareness around the world is more recognized, these triggers are becoming more prevalent in everyday life. Another term for teeth grinding or clenching is “bruxism” and some people may experience bruxism face pain. Here are a few ways to avoid it and how you can prevent it from happening.
People who suffer from bruxism or TMJ, will grind and clench their teeth at night. Your mind subconsciously unpacks your mental stress throughout the day. If you’ve been dealing with difficult situations regarding personal relationships, career or school projects, or just everyday life, your mind will need to release this stress. When not dealt with properly, your brain will deal with this anxiety in unhealthy ways while you sleep including the habit of grinding your teeth. Clenching or grinding your teeth can lead to bruxism face pain which is a terrible side effect.
When you grind your teeth at night, your muscles will contract to make your jaw clench together. With the constant working of the muscles, they will tire out in time. When muscles are tired, they become stressed out and send stress signals to other areas which can lead to bruxism face pain or daily morning headaches. Waking up with headaches on a routine basis is a red flag that you may be grinding your teeth in your sleep. If you suspect that you are, schedule a dental exam with your dentist to confirm this habit.
Aside from clenching, when you grind your teeth at night, you are at risk of wearing down your teeth. All the pressure that is exerted onto your teeth puts them in danger of chipping, cracking, or wearing thin. When that happens, the nerves in your teeth may become exposed leading to extra sensitivity to hot or cold foods and liquids.
In extreme cases and after years of clenching your jaw, you may not only have bruxism face pain but it is possible to have a bruxism face change. This occurs when your jaw bones are so worn down from constant grinding and clenching that your jaw bones shrink, making the shape of your face change. It’s a scary thought!
Aside from taking ibuprofen or Tylenol to help with the inflammation of the sore muscles in your face from teeth grinding, there are some preventative measures for bruxism face pain. Your best chance to negate the side effects of clenching and grinding is to wear a custom night guard. These oral devices provide a barrier of defense even if you clench or grind, your teeth, jaw, and muscles will be protected.
Your dentist can provide you with a night guard but this will be an expensive visit that will potentially require x-rays, a dental exam, and a follow-up to pick up the night guard. SportingSmiles has been in business since 2009 crafting premium custom night guards at half the cost of the dentist.
By ordering with SportingSmiles you’ll receive the patented impression kit where you’ll take easy-at-home impressions with our trays and putty. Once the impressions are completed, you’ll ship them back to SportingSmiles headquarters with free 3-way shipping and our expert dental techs will craft one of six premium night guards to help prevent bruxism face pain.
When you grind your teeth at night or clench, it can lead to near irrevisable damage that can only be corrected by expensive and painful oral surgery. Don’t wait for that situation to come up, protect yourself with a custom night guard. Not only will this help prevent bruxism face pain, but you’ll be protected from daily morning headaches, worn down teeth, chewing your tongue, and chipped teeth. These night guards are designed to fit only your smile and are crafted with extreme comfort in mind.
