The fast-paced life that everyone is leading leaves them with a fair deal of stress for a variety of reasons. Waking up unwillingly in the morning when you haven’t had enough sleep to head to work, only to get stuck in traffic while you’re trying to make it there on time, only to get there late to face the wrath of your superior – all of these situations add to ever-increasing levels of stress. In such moments of heightened stress, it’s hardly uncommon for some to grind or clench their teeth to release some stress. This might seem to some as a healthy way to deal with stress, but it happens at the expense of your dental health. Let us explore the issue closely to see what we discover.

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Effects of Teeth Grinding on your Dental Health

Clenching or grinding of teeth is a common human behavior, but overdoing the same can be problematic for your oral health. In general dentistry terms, the habit of grinding teeth too much is termed as Bruxism. Bruxism increases the strain on your teeth and jaw, which then negatively affects the structure of your jaw.

Teeth Grinding and Temporomandibular Joint

Grinding of teeth puts a lot of strain on your temporomandibular joint, which is the jaw chiefly responsible for keeping your jaw attached to the skull and facilitates smooth jaw movement. Teeth grinding leads to wear and tear of the joint and the shock-absorbing tissues that make it easier to move the jaws. The joint starts making ‘click’ sounds and sometimes locks in a fixed position in the more advanced stages of the condition. In general dentistry terms, this is known as Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction. This dysfunction causes other problems such as blurred vision, neck pain, migraines, and a toothache.

Teeth Grinding and a fractured tooth

Grinding of teeth due to stress and anxiety is a common cause of a toothache. In the nighttime when you’re asleep, your teeth withstand the continuous onslaught of your teeth grinding. The strain exerted on the crown of your teeth diminishes its holding capabilities and turns them weak. This is precisely the reason why a fair majority of the people suffering from Bruxism end up with a fractured tooth, which is very painful, mind you. The wearing of the crown of your teeth also affects the strength of its root and could lead to teeth-loss and erode the alveolar bone.

Common stress relief methods to stop your teeth grinding

The main cause of grinding teeth is your unending stress and anxiety. Here are a few stress relief methods you can try:

• Exercise: Run your way to a stress-free life. Exercising decreases the effects of stress hormones that are released by our bodies. This keeps you fresh and confident, and also helps in improving your sleep
• Check your caffeine: While most people have coffee to stay awake longer awake (and focus), the caffeine that you consume makes you more anxious and stressful. Try cutting down on the amount of caffeine that you take in
• Chewing Gum: Chewing gum has proven to be a really effective stress relief method. If you have a tooth grinding habit, chewing will not only act as a cushion between your teeth but also helps you release your stress by exercising your jaw-bone

If you have a tooth grinding problem, have fractured a tooth because of it, or have any queries related to general dentistry, connect with our dental team at Signature Smilez Dental.