All of us carry some sort of stress throughout the day. Work, money, commutes, family, health – all play a big role in how we function. Of course, having stress is one thing – handling it is entirely different.
Stress management is critical to the health of our minds and bodies. Management techniques not only help keep us sane, they lessen the damage stress does on the body. For instance, tooth grinding. A recent study published in the journal Head & Face Medicine, finds that tooth grinding is more common among people who have unhealthy stress-coping mechanisms.
Also read: Top Causes of Sensitive Teeth
The researchers found that people who ground their teeth at night tended to experience more stress at work and in their daily lives. The association between stress and tooth grinding was measurably stronger for those who coped with stress in a less-constructive way. Researchers found those people to deal with stress through avoidance, escape, and self-blame.
Now, I’m not in the business of self-help… but I am in the business of helping people take care of their bodies, specifically their mouth and teeth. Therefore, in order to prevent stress-related tooth grinding, I recommend the following:
First, learn to relax your jaw at night. Whether you feel stressed or not, every night at bedtime, try relaxing your jaw. Just let it fall ever so slightly and let your tongue rest on the roof of your mouth. Doing this will ease the tension in your mouth and jaw, and will also help mentally relax you.
Also read: 5 Ways to Wreck Your Teeth
Second, if tooth grinding is too chronic for you to conquer on your own, contact our office for an immediate consultation. We can fit you for mouth guards which can help prevent you from doing damage to your teeth and to your jaw.
