by Sadie Davis

Created on: February 20, 2009

I admit it. I'm a tooth grinder. When I'm really stressed, I grind my teeth both day and night. At night, I grind so bad that I wake up with a sore mouth and a headache. During the day, same thing. The more I stress, the more I grind.

I've been to specialists, medical, dental and chiropractors for my teeth grinding and the TMJ that resulted from it. There are several conclusions I've come to. Grinding will break or wear down your teeth in a very short period of time. It can and will, very frequently, give you migraines. You can develop or worsen a TMJ condition. I've been told that it's very annoying for your partner to lie in bed and listen to teeth grinding all night also. So how do you stop it?

There are several good ways to at least lessen tooth grinding and save your teeth. The first is to take an anti-anxiety medicine prescribed by your doctor. They can help lessen the stress, therefore lessening the grinding. For those who choose not to use pills as a help, one thing you might try is a nightguard. If you decide to get a nightguard, be sure to get a custom-fit piece made by your dentist. Do not get the over-the-counter type. They are not custom fit to your jaw, bite and teeth. Be sure also, to follow up with your dentist to be ensure that it's fitting properly over time. Just because it's called a "night"guard doesn't mean you can't wear it during the day. It's great if you can, but if not, there is a simple exercise that you can train yourself to do. Make the "n" sound with the tip of your tongue on the front roof of your mouth. This will keep your teeth separated and your jaw in the correct position. You can't possibly grind when your teeth are not touching and your jaw is relaxed.

For people who sit behind a computer all day, you should know that head-forward, slouched position is one of the worst positions you can be in when you're a grinder. Try to be conscious of how you sit. Head-forward, slouched position forces your bottom jaw forward and upward, thus making the perfect clenching/grinding position.

Chiropractic care can also help grinding. Having your jaw and neck in it's correct position produces optimal results. It reduces aches and pains that cause stress, thereby reducing stress-related grinding. It won't stop the grinding but it will certainly reduce the effects it has on your jaw.

Be aware that none of these helpful hints will permanently eliminate your grinding. They may, however, lessen and possibly prevent, the negative effects that grinding has on your jaw, bite and teeth.

Learn more about this author, Sadie Davis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.