Bruxism (AKA: Teeth Grinding/Clenching)
Do you clench your teeth during the day or grind your teeth at night? If so, you may have bruxism. The clenching and grinding of your teeth may produce symptoms that include a sore jaw or headache. The cause of bruxism is not completely agreed upon but daily stress may be the trigger in many people.
Bruxism is not a dangerous disorder. However, bruxism can cause permanent damage to your teeth. Grinding can wear down the surfaces of your teeth and could cause cracks or fractures that can become quite serious.
Grinding and clenching does not fall into one medical discipline and costs to treat bruxism can range from $25-$400. The goals of treatment are to reduce pain, prevent permanent damage to the teeth and reduce clenching as much as possible.
There are many approaches to help people unlearn their clenching behaviors. These approaches are more successful for daytime clenching vs. nighttime clenching. In many, just relaxing and modifying daytime behavior is enough to reduce nighttime bruxism. Here are some common treatments for bruxism:
For example, to relieve pain you can apply ice or wet heat to sore jaw muscles. Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.
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