What is your initial reaction when faced with a stressful event? Do find yourself unconsciously grinding your teeth? If you do, you are one of the countless people who do the same thing when they feel frustrated, angry, anxious, or when they simply want to hide their negative feelings. Grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw may seem harmless, but constantly doing these can have adverse effects on your teeth, jaw, and overall oral health.
Tape on mouth of an african male model pointing upwards.
Teeth grinding leads to the premature wearing down of the teeth’s protective outer layer called the enamel. Wearing away of the enamel leads to the exposure of the sensitive inner teeth portion which includes the nerves; this in turn results to a great deal of pain. When you continuously grind your teeth, you will also run the risk of harming your jaw joint and may be on your way to having jaw injury.
The teeth grinding problem is mostly triggered by stress, and when negative feelings are suppressed and kept bottled up inside. Involuntary teeth grinding may come from improper teeth alignment; crooked teeth can cause the teeth to rub against one another in an abnormal manner. Determining the source of the problem will lead to the proper treatment for teeth grinding. Relaxation techniques and stress management will help if stress triggers the teeth clenching episodes. Orthodontic treatments at the London Dental Studio can straighten teeth to address improper alignment. On the other hand, mouth guards can be used to prevent teeth from grinding against one another, especially during the nighttime when you sleep.
