How To Prevent Teeth Grinding

Ways To Prevent Teeth Grinding

People who grind their teeth at night often have the condition without even noticing it, and only notice it because their regular sleeping partner points it out. The subtle early signs of clenching and grinding your teeth can sometimes go unseen, but once they do, they might already be painful and expensive to repair.

If you think you may grind your teeth at night, there are many ways to address it. We advise you seek help from a dentist or a medical professional, but some of these methods can be tried on your own. They include:

• Jaw Pain
• Headaches
• Earache
• TMJ
• Awake Bruxism
• Dental Symptoms

Taking action early can make a huge impact on keeping damage minimal and in check. Read on to find out the Top 5 Reasons to address your teeth grinding as soon as possible.

1) Avoid Expensive Dental Repairs

It's no secret, dental work is extremely expensive. If it's possible to prevent it, why spend your hard earned money on uncomfortable, timely and expensive dental procedures. Depending on the severity of your grinding and the wear on your teeth, the dental work needed can range from repairing chipped teeth to needing crowns or veneers.

At Nxtrnd, we recommend you look into a slim fitting night guard that will allow you to get the same protection as the $800 dentist guard, without breaking the bank.

2) Get Relief From Headaches and Jaw Pain

While you grind and clench your teeth at night, tension builds up in your jaw muscles which can cause major headaches. In fact, one of the most common symptoms people who grind their teeth seek relief from is tension headaches and migraines during the following day.

Taking preventive measures that reduce tension build up in your jaw muscles can decrease these types of pain drastically.

3) Eliminate Teeth Damage

The most common sign of teeth grinding is damage to the teeth which includes chips, cracks or wearing signs on the enamel. Because grinding erodes teeth enamel, one of the early signs who may notice is tooth sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures. Unfortunately, your teeth enamel does not rejuvenate itself. Once it's gone, it's gone and can lead to a higher potential for cavities and other dental issues.

If you're experiencing tooth sensitivity, we recommend taking action and protecting your teeth before real damage is caused and it's too late.

4) Maintain Quality Of Life & Tooth Health

Every day, your teeth are used to enjoy your favorite foods. If you're a grinder, you may end up having to stop eating certain foods at the mercy of your teeth. In fact, foods that are cold like ice cream or foods that are hard and require chewing may become painful and tiring to eat. In order to avoid jaw pain, you might have to stop eating certain types of meals all together.

However, if you take action early and protect your teeth using a night guard, you will reduce overall tooth sensitivity and increase your chances at being able to enjoy your favorite foods more often.

5) Sleep Better & Feel Better

If you've been struggling to get a good night's sleep and feel drowsy during the day, your teeth grinding could be the culprit. In fact, multiple studies have shown that teeth grinding significantly reduces the amount of deep sleep a person can get throughout the night which leave them feeling tired and less energetic the next day.

The importance of sleep is no secret. Scientists agree that sleep is essential not only for our ability to function at our best throughout the day, but also for our overall health. If stopping teeth grinding is also a step towards a better sleep, we recommend your invest in a quality mouth guard and enjoy a more restful sleep.

What stops teeth grinding

There are a number of dental devices that are used to attempt to treat teeth grinding. Although the limited research on the effectiveness of these devices, they do appear to help with the severity and frequency of symptoms.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to combat teeth grinding is with a mouth guard, also known as a night guard. Night guards are worn while you sleep and act as a protective barrier between your upper and lower teeth absorbing the forces caused by grinding and clenching.

While there are many different types of night guards, from cheap drugstore guards to custom made dentist guards costing upwards of $700, we recommend looking for something that balances quality, price and convenience.

At Nxtrnd, we've designed the industry's first at-home professional teeth grinding night guard. Made of a high quality thermoplastic material, the RISE mouthguard offers the same quality as the dentist made mouthguards but at a fraction of the cost. To learn more, please click here.

Why Does Teeth Grinding Happen?

Even though the actual causes of teeth grinding are not fully understood, there are several contributing factors that may lead to someone grinding their teeth at night. These factors include:

• Stress: Both long term and new stress have been shown to cause teeth grinding.
• Medication: Psychiatric, medicinal marijuana, ADD/ADHD, depression and anxiety medications have been shown to increase the risk of grinding.
• Food and Beverages: High caffeine, acid reflux triggering foods, and recreational drugs can cause tooth grinding.
• Sleep Apnea: Sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are considered a high risk factor for developing bruxism.
• Neurologic and Physical Disorders: Anxiety, depressive, mood and schizoaffective disorders are regularly experienced by teeth grinders.
• Digestion Issues: Conditions where highly acidic stomach contents leak into the esophagus have been shown to damage tooth surfaces and cause dry mouth which can lead to bruxism.
• Genetics: Genetic predisposition may also play a role in developing teeth grinding.