There are a lot of different things you can do to stop teeth grinding (bruxism).
Most experts agree that the treatment of bruxism depends upon the nature of the condition and its underlying causes.
For example, if a person bruxes because of malocclusion (abnormal alignment of the bite), oral surgery to correct the abnormal bite can resolve the problem.
- Mouth guards. A common treatment is an oral protective mouth guard or teeth grinding guard.
This is a plastic mouth guard that fits over the lower teeth to prevent damage to the teeth during bruxing. This works fairly well at night but is not applicable to daytime use.
Mouth guards can be specially fit to the person’s mouth or generic mouth guards can be purchased at certain pharmacies.
If the problem is due to a brain injury or due to a neuromuscular disease, a mouth guard may be the only safe and effective option.
A good mouth guard actually corrects the bite of the person wearing it and reduces tension on the jaw. This is why having custom-made mouth guards is better than just buying one at the pharmacy or dental supply store.
There are different types of mouth guards and it is worth trying another one if the first one doesn’t work. Some are made from soft silicon while others are made from a harder plastic. Some cover the bottom teeth and others cover the top teeth. Still others cover just the front teeth, keeping the molars separated by the front mouth guard.
- Orthodontic adjustment of the bite may work. This involves having braces placed that improve the malocclusion of the teeth and, over time, the teeth move into their correct alignment.
This is a very effective method of treatment; however, it is very expensive and takes up to two or more years to correct the malocclusion.
- Psychotherapy or counseling: Talking about some of the root causes of anxiety or anger and frustration can gradually reduce these feelings.
Psychotherapists can help an individual find more direct ways to handle difficult feelings and practicing these techniques can reduce the repressed feelings that led to the problem.
Such treatment can last for several months, depending on the underlying causes of the repressed feelings. The cost of such treatment can run into several thousand dollars.
- Medications directed at improving a relaxed state have also been used as treatment.
For example, anti-anxiety medications like alprazolam, lorazepam and clonazepam are used to relax an individual and reduce the extent of the bruxism.
These medications can be prescribed by a family doctor, internist or psychiatrist and are often used when psychotherapy is too expensive or isn’t working.
Medications can also be used along with psychotherapy as a stop gap and can be weaned off once the psychotherapy begins to work.
- Muscle relaxant. These medications can be a temporary relief from the tension that is the underlying root of night teeth grinding.
Muscle relaxants can be addictive so that should be used on a temporary basis while there is another, more permanent, therapy in the works.
Some physical therapists have expertise in training a person to reduce their grinding.
- Mouth exercises and biofeedback exercises are done to relax the jaw and keep the teeth clenching at bay.
- Stress management with a stress management counselor can also manage daytime teeth grinding.
This type of counselor helps the individual recognize and handle all types of stressors in ways that do not include bruxism.
There are many other ways to reduce stress.
- Yoga and meditation can also make a big difference.
Meditation allows an individual to have more control over their thoughts and their body and yoga is a great form of relaxing exercise. Using yoga and meditation together provide the best combination of mental and physical advantage.
- Biofeedback can be an amazingly good way to tackle this condition.
This involves using cues that help a person learn to relax certain muscles, in this case, the jaw muscles. It is a very effective way of handling bruxism when done by a skilled practitioner of biofeedback.
Biofeedback is only really useful for daytime bruxism as it requires feedback consciously from the muscles.
- GrindAlert. A biofeedback device called GrindAlert is particularly effective in the biofeedback management of teeth grinding.
It is a device worn around the forehead like a headband that can detect when the initial symptoms of grinding occur. It allows the individual to progressively train oneself to stop grinding and clenching their teeth.
The individual can monitor their progress by seeing their score in the morning and can chart their progress with the device.
- Hypnosis can be a viable treatment choice.
A qualified hypnotist can work with the individual to reduce the incidence and severity of episodes.
- Relaxation Exercises. A holistic way of handling grinding and the pain associated with it is to consciously relax your facial muscles and jaw muscles throughout the day.
Massage the muscles of your face, neck and shoulders regularly. Search for hot spots or trigger points where the pain is more intense and put finger point pressure on those areas.
Stretch and relax the muscles of your jaw so it isn’t so tense. Yawn a lot to stretch the jaw muscles. Apply moist heat to the jaw muscles to help relax them and ease any jaw pain you may have.
Avoid eating hard foods like nuts, hard meats and candies. Instead, drink a great deal of water during the day to flush out your system.
Learn relaxation techniques and get enough sleep at night.
- Botox. Botulinum toxin or Botox has been used in treatment of teeth grinding.
The Botulinum toxin is a microbial toxin that, in small doses when injected into muscle, causes several weeks or months of muscular relaxation. Instead of using it for wrinkles, doctors inject the Botulinum toxin into the jaw muscles, allowing them to relax better and to stop grinding at the teeth. The injections have to be repeated every few months.
- Antidepressants. If an individual is taking an antidepressant that causes bruxism, there may need to be a switch to an antidepressant that is less known to cause the problem.
The major point here is that there are a variety of ways to stop grinding teeth. It can be difficult to manage at times so that trying different things might be the only option.
However there is one treatment that we think is the best. In a nutshell it’s a great solution that works for most sufferers and is easy to implement. Click here to find out more about the best way to stop grinding permanently.
