Most people think teeth grinding (also known as bruxism) is only a problem during sleep, but did you know that you might be grinding your teeth during the day as well?
In fact, if you grind your teeth at night, there is a good chance you are still carrying tension in your jaw during the day and unintentionally grinding or clenching your jaw. And the same goes in reverse, if you find yourself tightening your jaw or grinding your teeth during the day, there’s a very good chance you do the same at night – possibly even to a greater degree.
Top Causes Of Why You May Grind Your Teeth During The Day
Though bruxism can arise for many reasons, the most common causes of teeth grinding are stress, a misaligned bite, and excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption.
Stress
is a fairly straightforward trigger. When we’re stressed, we tense our muscles. Some people get tension headaches or neck tension when they are stressed. Some bring that tension into their jaw muscles. Daytime bruxism has been linked to jobs that come with a lot of routine stress, like law enforcement, the military, and healthcare.
A misaligned bite
can cause stress of its own. When you have an underbite, overbite, crossbite, or an open bite, your teeth do not line up correctly in your mouth, and your jaw muscles do not strengthen evenly. This can cause a lot of ongoing tension in the jaw. If you have stiffness, soreness, clicking, or popping in your jaw, it is important to get your bite checked because misaligned bites are not always easily noticeable.
Caffeine
usually catches people off guard as a cause of teeth grinding, but consuming a lot of caffeine (like that found in coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate) can make your body restless. Caffeine is a metabolic stimulant. It enhances muscle output and endurance capacity and increases heart rate – which is why people use it to wake themselves up. However, the same things in caffeine that help you feel awake can also induce anxiety in your body. And, when you are feeling anxious, your body can also start to carry tension similar to the tension you carry when stressed.
Excessive alcohol
most commonly affects teeth grinding at night, but it is only beginning to be understood. Alcohol consumption disrupts sleeping rhythms, which could cause stress on the body. The Journal of the American Dental Association published findings that showed bruxism is highly associated with alcohol use – even more than it is associated with caffeine! While the study found a strong correlation, more research is needed to pinpoint the cause-and-effect relationship.
What Are the Dangers of Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding may sound more like a bad habit than a dangerous problem, but it can lead to serious consequences. I can cause chronic pain or sensitivity – in the jaw, teeth, inner ear, and neck – lead to TMJ, and damage your teeth (sometimes severely) over time.
Teeth grinding has even been linked to hearing loss because of the damage it can do to your inner ear due to tension and inflammation.
It is important to take steps to stop grinding your teeth before you damage your smile or bring yourself a mountain of dental or medical bills.
How Do I Stop Grinding My Teeth?
If you are a daytime teeth grinder, the good news is that you can become aware of when and how often you fall into the habit. We usually grind our teeth subconsciously. So, your first step is to get more in touch with your body and pay attention to what it is doing. In particular, when you are concentrating on a difficult or stressful task, take a moment to check in with your teeth and jaw. Are you clenching? Grinding?
The main way to eliminate tension from the jaw area is to reduce stress. You can do this by breathing through a stressful moment and asking your muscles to relax. You should also bring some stress-reducing practices into your daily routine. These could include yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or exercise.
If the stress on your jaw is cause by a misaligned bite or crooked teeth that are not meeting correctly, consider orthodontic treatment. You might need a correction to your bite, or your solution may be as simple as braces for a few months.
Avoid or limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption. Both of these chemicals bring stress to your body. Taking them out of your routine might be the change you need to combat the tension in you jaw.
Wear a Night Guard
If you are grinding your teeth during the day, chances are you are doing it at night, too. At night, you won’t be able to check in with your body and consciously relax your jaw in moments of tension. So, it is important you take further steps to protect your teeth.
At TeethNightGuard, we have made it our business to provide hand-made, custom-molded, and affordable night guards that will comfortably protect your teeth without breaking your bank account. If you grind your teeth during the day TeethNightGuard.com also makes custom teeth grinding guards for day time use.
Until we came along, the market offered two kinds of night guards: those sold at drugstores and those you could buy through your dentist. The drugstore night guards were cheap but generic (which usually leads to a poor fit), and the custom-built ones were great but prohibitively expensive for many people.
Now, you have the option to get a custom-made night guard without the extra cost of going through a dentist. You’ll make your own mold with our easy-to-use kit, and we’ll build your night guard to perfectly match your mouth for a comfortable and effective fit. We have an array of styles and densities you can choose from when picking your night guard. Just think, you can get the same great fit you would achieve by going to a dentist but without the exorbitant cost!
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