Bruxism

Sufferers of bruxism sink their upper teeth into their lower teeth, gritting and grinding. Though it may result from stress, a mess of things can result from bruxism. It causes worn down teeth, headaches and sore necks and backs. A condition known as temporomandibular joint syndrome is also caused by bruxism. The following remedies may help.

Lips together, teeth apart

Your teeth should touch only when you are chewing food or swallowing. Therefore practice keeping your teeth apart, it will reduce the urge to clench or grind.

Crunch an apple

If you tend to grind at night, tucker out the jaw by munching on an apple or raw carrots before retiring.

Apply heat to your jaws

Fold up a washcloth, run hot water over it, wring it out and apply it against the sides of your face. Apply it as often and as long as you can as this will help relaxing the clenching muscles.

A mouth guard

There are mouth guards that you can put in hot water and then pop into your mouth and bite down on for a better fit. Mouth guard can be used temporarily to guard against night time chomping.

Calm down

Experts agree that bruxism is most often related to stress. Therefore, the best thing to do is to avoid caffeine and refined cabohydrates such as candies and pastries; take some warm baths, ease up on yourself and learn good general relaxation techniques.