Are you suffering from bruxism? If you aren’t sure, here are some clear indications: grinding the teeth at night, pain in the lower jaw area especially in the morning, and headache. There are varying cases of this condition, ranging from mild to severe and the more severe it is, it will be more likely to result to tmj, which is a form of arthritis in the temporomandibular joint.
Do you want to treat bruxism and stop teeth grinding? There are three effective ways to do this and some information about these treatment options are outlined below.
#1: Professional Mouth Guard
A mouth guard, which you can request from your dentist, is a good way to treat bruxism. It prevents damage to the teeth that can be caused by grinding and clenching. However, the problem with this option is that it can get very expensive, with most professionally made mouth guards pegged at $250 to $500 on average. Moreover, some people complain that these things can become quite uncomfortable and others even experience gagging when putting it on before sleeping.
Another issue with mouth guards is that it does not really treat bruxism but in fact, it only prevents your teeth from being damaged, like a protective cover. And prolonged use of this device has also been found to result to a condition called “open bite” which causes inability to close the jaws.
#2: Medication for the Pain
The second option is the use of prescription drugs to alleviate the pain. This is recommended for those who find it difficult to go through their normal activities because of the swelling. Drugs give temporary relief to the pain caused by bruxism and in worse cases, tmj. But the problem with pain relievers is that they do not address the root cause. Plus with long-term use of drugs, this could lead to withdrawal symptoms and complications in the liver.
#3: Making Lifestyle Change
The last treatment option is lifestyle change. It has been said that certain diets and supplements, as well as jaw exercise, can stop teeth grinding. The advantage with the 3rd option is that it is completely natural and you do not run the risk of any health complications. Moreover, it is significantly cheaper than buying a mouth guard and in fact, many of the food and supplements required can be found at home. Perhaps the only disadvantage is that there are so many methods that claim to stop teeth grinding and the challenge is to find out which of them will actually work.
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