How To Manage The Pain Of Tooth Grinding
Posted on: 7 November 2018
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Grinding teeth is a serious problem for many people. In addition to this condition having the potential to wear down your teeth over time, it can also leave you with headaches, toothaches, and jaw pain. If you're going through these troubles and know that it's due to grinding your teeth, here are some ways to get onto the road to recovery and managing your pain.
Numbing Solution
There are two main ways to reduce the pain you're experiencing from grinding your teeth: orally taken pain relievers, and orally applied pain relievers.
The first is taking something like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to treat your pain. These medications will be digested, get into your bloodstream, and work to reduce pain and discomfort throughout the body.
The topically applied pain reliever is a bit faster with relief, and if you have stomach or organ concerns, it might be the better choice as it's safe. Numbing gels can be applied directly to the painful area, whether it's the tooth or the gums. And of course, you can always use both solutions for extra control over your pain.
Meditation
Whether you grind your teeth in your sleep or during the day, meditation may be able to help. Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, which may relieve the root of your anxiety and help you to stop having overt symptoms like grinding your teeth.
If you're interested in trying meditation, start with doing it just before bed. Many free apps and websites now exist that can guide you through a simple meditation that will help you to become aware of your body and breathing. You may even notice that there's tension in your jaw that you didn't realize was there, and then you can consciously focus on loosening it up and relaxing before bed.
Tooth Grinding Protection
Even if you're able to reduce the amount of times that you grind your teeth with meditation, you should still visit a dentist.
There are a couple things your dentist can help you with. One is ensuring that there isn't any damage to your teeth from long-term grinding. If your dentist does find some, they can repair it before it becomes worse and potentially puts the health of your teeth at risk.
Secondly, your dentist can make a custom mouthguard for you that will prevent you from being able to grind your teeth at night. This durable mouthguard is slim and doesn't add much bulk to the mouth, so it's comfortable, but it puts a layer of protection between your upper and lower teeth, absorbing much of the impact from tooth grinding.
Tooth grinding can end up causing some major oral health problems, so don't put off getting help if you grind your teeth frequently. Talk to dentists like Elizabeth Loseke DDS and get the help you need to repair your smile and protect it from further damage.