If you wake up every morning and have a sore jaw or a headache, it might be a sign that you have been grinding your teeth. Some people grind their teeth while they sleep (called bruxism) and they dont even know they are doing it. This can cause quite a bit of damage to the teeth, especially over time.
One of the causes of bruxism is thought to be stress but there could be many other reasons as well. Whether it is stress or something else, it is extremely difficult to break a habit that you dont even know you are doing. So many people suffer from a mild case of bruxism that it is never looked into unless their dentist notices.
If you do have a teeth grinding habit, your dentist will see the telltale signs of it and probably recommend a mouth guard. You will then be faced with a dilemma of whether to take his advice and pay for something that is not going to cure the problem. A mouth guard may work great for protecting your teeth but it is not going to do a thing for correcting it. Finding a cure for your teeth grinding would be a preferable path if you can discover the cause.
For most people, stress is either the cause or a component of bruxism. That would be the first place to start if you are hoping to find a cure but it is not necessarily the only thing. There have been many people who grind their teeth at night and yet have little stress. This is why curing bruxism is so difficult and is different for each individual. For one person it might be stress related and for another it may not.
If stress is the reason for your bruxism, finding a way to eliminate it or lessen it you will be your course of action. You may want to see a therapist who can determine if you have stress issues that you may not be aware of. There are also books in the library that will recommend other paths to cure this habit. If all else fails, you can always go back to the fall back plan of getting a nighttime mouth guard. This will at least minimize any further damage to your teeth and give you time to find out the real reason you are doing it. - 29879
One of the causes of bruxism is thought to be stress but there could be many other reasons as well. Whether it is stress or something else, it is extremely difficult to break a habit that you dont even know you are doing. So many people suffer from a mild case of bruxism that it is never looked into unless their dentist notices.
If you do have a teeth grinding habit, your dentist will see the telltale signs of it and probably recommend a mouth guard. You will then be faced with a dilemma of whether to take his advice and pay for something that is not going to cure the problem. A mouth guard may work great for protecting your teeth but it is not going to do a thing for correcting it. Finding a cure for your teeth grinding would be a preferable path if you can discover the cause.
For most people, stress is either the cause or a component of bruxism. That would be the first place to start if you are hoping to find a cure but it is not necessarily the only thing. There have been many people who grind their teeth at night and yet have little stress. This is why curing bruxism is so difficult and is different for each individual. For one person it might be stress related and for another it may not.
If stress is the reason for your bruxism, finding a way to eliminate it or lessen it you will be your course of action. You may want to see a therapist who can determine if you have stress issues that you may not be aware of. There are also books in the library that will recommend other paths to cure this habit. If all else fails, you can always go back to the fall back plan of getting a nighttime mouth guard. This will at least minimize any further damage to your teeth and give you time to find out the real reason you are doing it. - 29879
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