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Did You Know Your Jaw Pain Could Be A Result Of Teeth Grinding

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Jaw pain refers to an uncomfortable feeling or a sensation that is associated with tooth pain, tenderness, aching of the other areas of the neck or face, and difficulty in chewing.

Teeth grinding occurs when you move your jaw while your teeth are clenched.

Teeth grinding can be a major cause of jaw pain. This is because nighttime clenching or grinding causes severe damage and destruction to your teeth.

The result can wear away the enamel on your teeth. Clenching the teeth without grinding is also common.

When this happens, you tend to tighten your teeth together without necessarily moving them back and forth. It results in less wear and tear but has the same effect on your jaw muscles.

According to psychological studies, stress or anxiety is the main cause for many people who grind their teeth and many people aren’t aware they do it.

It is imperative to practice healthy techniques to lower stress otherwise, the consequences may lead to other dental issues.

It affect your jaw muscles as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the jaw to the skull. It allows you to open and close your mouth when you speak or chew.

When grinding or clenching your teeth, it can put pressure on your muscles and the structures of the jaw.

People clench and grind their teeth without being aware of it. It can happen during the day and night. Teeth grinding during sleep is often a bigger problem because it is harder to control.

Some people probably clench their teeth and never feel symptoms. Most people who grind their teeth and clench their jaw aren’t aware they’re doing it.

It often happens during sleep or it could be due to stress at work, intense focus on a project, out of habit or anger over a disagreement.

In dental clinics in India, regular counselling for such patients is done to address stress and anxiety problems.

It doesn’t always cause symptoms but some people get facial pain and headaches, and it can wear down your teeth over time.

Jaw muscle pain can be dull and throbbing or achy, constant and uncomfortable. It may stick around or come and go.

People who experience night time teeth grinding are usually unaware they are clenching or grinding their teeth.

During the night, the brain cycles run through lighter and deeper stages of sleep.

As the brain approaches deep sleep, all the muscles in the body have to fully let go and relax.

This easily causes trouble for the airway, the jaw is heavy and easily blocks the airway and the tongue, when fully relaxed, expands to almost twice its size to block the airway as well.

Teeth grinding occurs as you move from a deeper stage of sleep to a lighter one. It can cause jaw pain and dysfunction when you wake.

Dentist in India are providing custom made night guards for patients with such grinding problems.

Grinding and clenching your teeth puts pressure on the muscles, tissues and other structures around your jaw. The symptoms can cause joint problems (TMJ). Though painful jaw is a common symptom, you may also experience:

  • Teeth that are flattened, chipped, fractured or loose
  • Worn tooth enamel, exposing deeper layers of your tooth
  • Increased tooth sensitivity or pain
  • Tired or stiff jaw muscles
  • Jaw, neck or face pain or soreness
  • Headaches
  • Muscle tenderness or sore muscles especially in the morning when you wake up
  • Sleep disruption
  • A grinding sound during the night (possibly heard by your partner)
  • Pain and stiffness in the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) and surrounding muscles which can lead to temporomandibular disorder (TMD)
  • Earache (referred pain partly because the structures of the temporomandibular joint are very close to the ear canal)

See your dentist if you have any of the symptoms listed above or any other concerns about your teeth or jaw. If you are experiencing jaw pain or discomfort, it’s important to seek professional help.

It is important to wear a night-guard in a number of ways-

It is an effective tool that can help stop you from damaging your teeth, crowns and the jaw.

It also serves to stop jaw aching and in giving you a good night sleep.

Therefore, by wearing a night guard every day before going to bed, the harmful effects that result from clenching and grinding are greatly reduced.

Dentist in Delhi are routinely treating grinding cases using customized night guards.

Try to relax as one of the causes of jaw pain or tenderness is grinding or clenching due to stress.

Therefore, taking a time to relax is a way of relieving muscle tension and thus is an effective practice for eliminating jaw pain.

You may need dental treatment if your teeth are worn through grinding to avoid developing further problems.

Another reason it’s important to get checked by your dentist is the underlying reason for the pain may include disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis, temporomandibular disorder, an abscessed tooth, or gum disease.

Having said that, teeth grinding is by far the leading cause of jaw pain.

Consult with your dentist if you are experiencing continued jaw pain. Jaw pain is a condition that can be managed through proactive treatment.


Posted by- Dr Shriya



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