BRUXISM: DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH AT NIGHT?
Do you grind your teeth at night? The squeaks? Do you wake up with a sore jaw?
Bruxism problems are more common than you might think. Bruxism is an involuntary mouth movement in which the teeth are clenched or ground. It occurs in the same way during the day or at night, but the latter is more frequent.
The causes are various, from stress (usually the most frequent) to sleep disturbances or an incorrect alignment of the teeth.
What symptoms might I be noticing?
- Dental wear
- Tenderness or pain in the masticatory muscles
- Toothache or pain in the face region
- Pain in the ear, feeling of congested ear
- Temporomandibular pain (TMJ) or spasms when opening the mouth
- Cervicalgias
- Cervical stiffness
- Headaches
- migraines
HOW CAN OSTEOPATHY HELP YOU?
From SOMSALUT we do a preliminary assessment, to rule out other possible pathologies of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), such as a meniscal problem, a dislocation, a blockage, etc. Once the exploration is finished, we relax and work the muscles involved in chewing and the front part of the neck. We articulate the dorsal area, high cervical and facial bones. And finally, we do cranial work and postural correction.
Here are some tips to avoid jaw pain:
- Avoid chewing gum, this will cause you to be continuously using the masticatory muscles.
- Avoid biting your nails.
- Avoid eating hard food or raw food in bites like carrot, apple, etc.
- Avoid always chewing on the same side.
- Avoid ingesting stimulating foods before going to sleep (coffee, tea, alcohol…).
- Perform relaxation techniques or exercises to help reduce stress.
If you suffer from bruxism, pain in the TMJ joint, mandibular arthrosis, or meniscal problems… do not hesitate to contact us.
References
Castrillon, EE, & Exposto, FG (2018). Sleep Bruxism and Pain. Dental Clinics of North America.
Polmann, H., Réus, JC, Massignan, C., Serra‐Negra, JM, Dick, BD, Flores‐Mir, C., … De Luca Canto, G. (2021). Association between sleep bruxism and stress symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 48(5), 621–631.
Vieira, KRM, Folchini, CM, Heyde, MDVD, Stuginski-Barbosa, J., Kowacs, PA, & Piovesan, EJ (2020). Wake‐Up Headache Is Associated With Sleep Bruxism. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.