How Can I Stop Clenching My Teeth at Night?

How can I stop clenching my teeth at night is an important question. Sometimes we are not aware of what we do when we sleep at night until someone brings it to our attention from personal observation. For instance, some people grind or clench their teeth when they sleep, a condition known as bruxism. Although not life threatening, bruxism is a condition that can cause permanent damage to your teeth that will require extensive dental procedures, such as root canals, to be performed in order to repair the damage done to your teeth when they are ground while you sleep. So, what can you do and how can you stop clenching your teeth at night?

There are things you can do to prevent teeth grinding or clenching from causing damage before it happens. For those whose bruxism is caused by high levels of stress, you should try reducing your level of stress before going to bed by relaxing. You can also take steps to reduce stress by going to counseling or starting a workout program.

Another way to avoid grinding or clenching your teeth is to be fitted with a mouth guard at night. Furthermore, reducing your intake of caffeine and alcohol, reduction in gum chewing and chewing on objects that are not food, and training yourself not to clench your jaw are all ways you can help yourself to discontinue grinding your teeth at night.

Causes of Bruxism

Part of knowing how to stop clenching our teeth at night is understanding why you do it. There are a few different causes of teeth grinding or clenching. However, no matter what the cause, the damage is the same. The different causes of nocturnal grinding or clenching of the teeth are:

• Stress: Many medical professionals believe that most teeth grinding occurs from high levels of stress or anxiety in your life.
• Abnormal Bite: If your jaw is misaligned and you have an overbite or underbite, you will be more likely to grind your teeth.
• Condition of Teeth: If you are missing teeth or have crooked teeth, odds are you will grind your teeth at night.

Symptoms of Bruxism

You may not have the fortune of having a spouse or a significant other who can point out and make you aware of your nightly teeth clenching, but you still need to know you are doing it before you can take steps to learn how to stop clenching your teeth at night. Fortunately, there are some subtle symptoms that may suggest you have the bruxism condition. The signs or symptoms of this condition include:

• A constant and dull headache
• A sore jaw in the morning
• Abnormalities or sensitivities in your teeth

Potential Damage from Clenching Teeth

The damage that can be caused when you clench or grind your teeth at night requires the careful attention of a dentist. Depending on how badly you grind your teeth at night will determine the level of damage you do to your teeth. The potential damage includes:

• Fracturing teeth
• Loosening teeth
• Loss of teeth
• Injury to the jaw
• Hearing loss
• Worsening of TMD (Temporomandibular Dysfunction)

• Changes in appearance of face

Thankfully, the damage caused by teeth grinding and clenching isn't irreparable. Still, whenever possible, you want to learn how to step clenching your teeth at night and take steps to stop it to preserve your health.