“I’m clenching and grinding my teeth, at times, day and night”
People place punishing pressure on their teeth while asleep.
Normal chewing places
around 70 pounds of pressure per square inch on the back teeth;
- Intentionally Clenching your teeth places
can exert up to 155 pounds of pressure; - Grinding While Asleep at night places up to
900 pounds of pressure. “
Overheard-At a recent Dayton, Ohio, Dental Examination-
- ‘Are you sleeping?’ - ‘Not very well.’
- 'Do you waken with tiredness or stress in your jaws?' 'Very often'
- 'Does your mouth hurt?' 'Yes'
- 'Do you bite your tongue?' "As a matter of fact, I do."
- 'Do you waken with a feeling of tiredness or stress in you jaws?' 'Yes'
'You don't need a root canal-
You need a mouth guard'
You're clenching and grinding your teeth during the day and/or the night.'
Invisible Shock Absorbing Mouth Guard
This is the longest recession in modern history, and when people say that they’re worn down, their dentists say it’s literally true about their teeth.
American Dental Association, normally 10 to 15 percent of people grind, a condition known as bruxism.
Dentists have observed a pronounced 25% to 40% increase in stress-related grinding during this recession.
Invisible Stress Relief
People place punishing pressure on their teeth while asleep.
Even bedmates sometimes notice the grinding at night. “She said: ‘Yeah, pretty bad. And clenching.”
Dentists can fit patients with night guards allowing them to put off more corrective work until the economy improves.
When grinding problems are not relieved-- Chronic Jaw syndromes can develop:
Tempromandibular joint disorder (TMD) or
Myofascial Pain Dysfunction (MPD) or
Tempromandibular joint syndrome (TMJ
is a chronic condition that affects upwards of 50 million people. There are many people who have no pain but still have occlusal disease (misaligned bite). Worn, chipped or broken teeth, broken fillings, changing position or shape of the smile are all indications that can benefit from treatment.
Below, are listed possible symptoms and indicators of these disorders.
The underlying conditions that cause these signs and symptomscan be:
- anatomical
- biochemical
- and/or emotional.
The anatomical problem is almost always present and leads to spasm activity of the jaw, head and neck muscles. Over a period of time it can lead to pain, and chronic tension.
- Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
- Congestion or stuffiness of the ears
- Cracking, chipping or breaking dental restorations
- Facial pain
- Headaches
- Limited movement or locking jaw
- Neck, shoulder or back pain
- Numbness in your fingers and arms
- Pain in teeth that seems to move around
- Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
- Unexplained loose teeth
- Worn, chipped or cracked teeth
Click here to Check out the Pamphlet on Jaw Joint Problems
Self-Care Practices
There are steps you can take that may be helpful in easing symptoms, such as:
- eating soft foods,
- applying ice packs,
- avoiding extreme jaw movements (such as wide yawning, loud singing, and gum chewing),
- learning techniques for relaxing and reducing stress,
-
practicing gentle jaw stretching and relaxing exercises that may help increase jaw movement. Your health care provider or a physical therapist can recommend exercises if appropriate for your particular condition
Pain Medications
For many people with TMJ disorders, short-term use of over-the-counter pain medicines or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen, may provide temporary relief from jaw discomfort. When necessary, your physician can prescribe stronger pain or anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, or anti-depressants to help ease symptoms.
Stabilization Splints
Dr. Russell may recommend an oral appliance, also called a stabilization splint or bite guard, which is a plastic guard that fits over the upper or lower teeth. Stabilization splints are the most widely used treatments for TMJ disorders. Studies of their effectiveness in providing pain relief, however, have been inconclusive. If a stabilization splint is recommended, it should be used only for a short time and should not cause permanent changes in the bite
The conservative, reversible treatments described are useful for temporary relief of pain. Since TMJ symptoms can be caused by transient factors, the symptoms can return if the same circumstances are repeated. Like many medical and dental problems, the condition can be managed. If symptoms continue over time, come back often, or worsen, tell Dr. Russell, as other remedies may be required.