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Handling Teeth Grinding Problems The Right Way

Handling Teeth Grinding Problems The Right Way

There is a term for the medical condition which involves habitual grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw. It is called bruxism and it’s often defined by dental care experts as a condition that’s difficult to prevent. If you are suffering from bruxism, there is a solution for this kind of disorder. It usually occurs during night when you are sleeping. It usually affects children and adults. However, this is common to people aged 25 to 44. This is a very serious kind of medical condition and it should be treated immediately. Usually you are not aware that you are already having this medical condition because you are unconscious when you are sleeping. Mostly people who are at your side when you are sleeping discover this medical condition that you are not aware of.

Bruxism could damage your teeth through erosion and chipping. Your teeth become sensitive and prone to cavities when you are grinding your teeth and could also wear away your enamel.  This is classified into two and they are classified as happening when one is awake, and the other takes place when one is asleep. The former is called awake bruxism and the other, sleep bruxism.  When you speak of awake bruxism, this is called an involuntary clenching of your teeth and jaw. There is no tooth grinding that occurs during awake bruxism. While sleep bruxisms is classified as an automatic grinding of your teeth and with muscle jaw construction once the body enters the sleeping states.

This medical condition is also divided into primary and secondary bruxism, where the first one usually occurs without the cause of medical condition. On the other hand, the secondary bruxism usually has known psychiatric and medical conditions like antidepressant drugs and recreational drugs. Recreational drugs include cocaine, ecstasy and disorder like Parkinson’s disease.

Sleep bruxism rarely occurs alone and it occurs as assign of sleep disorder. Lifestyle also contributes to this kind of medical disorder like drinking too much of alcohol, poor exercise and poor sleeping habits.  Stress is also one of the factors that cause bruxism and misaligned teeth or jaw.  Misaligned teeth and jaw are common to children and this is why this medical condition is mostly found in children.

The most common treatment for bruxism is by having a mouth guard and you could wear this when you are sleeping. Mouth guard could prevent your teeth from damage when grinding your teeth while you are sleeping. It could also minimize the grinding behavior of your tooth. You could buy a mouth guard in the sporting goods section in supermarket nearest you. You could also visit your dentist to have a customized mouth guard. Customized mouth guard is safe to use and it fits your mouth correctly.  The only way for you to stop teeth grinding is to know the cause and how to deal with it. For example, if you know that the cause of grinding your teeth is, stress, avoid this to happen. Deal with your stress all the time and a mind relaxation for several hours.

There is nothing better than a relaxed mind. If you could not handle the underlying cause of bruxism – and not do anything about it at all – it could result to oral dental problems later. Fear, anger, anxiety could lead to bruxism if you do not know how to handle it right.  Avoid this from happening to you and have a positive outlook in life.

 

Dr. Reza Salmassian is a Board Certified Orthodontist. For any questions regarding this article or to schedule your complimentary orthodontic evaluation, please contact Dr. Salmassian’s office at 661-222-7444 or visit us at www.salmassianortho.com

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