Many people grind their teeth while sleeping, millions in fact. And many of them do so without even realizing it. Because teeth grinding usually happens at night while you’re sleeping, you are unlikely to know you do it unless you pay attention to the signs.
One of the most common signs of teeth grinding is tooth sensitivity. Sometimes, tooth sensitivity is subtle and manifests as a reaction to hot or cold substances. At other times, teeth can ache even when they are doing nothing at all. If you feel pain when you bite down or chew (or when your teeth are at rest), then you have sensitive teeth and you may have a teeth grinding issue.
Other signs that can indicate you are grinding your teeth:
If you are grinding your teeth at night, you may notice that your jaw aches in the morning. You might develop tenderness or pain on the sides of your neck, near your temples, or even in your inner ear. This is due to swelling from muscle tension and irritation.
However, while these are problematic issues related to teeth grinding, some of the worst damage you are likely doing is to the teeth themselves.
Find out if you are doing damage to your teeth:
It is a good idea to see a dentist if you have sensitive teeth. Not only can a dentist make recommendations, but a dentist can also inspect your teeth to see if the teeth have signs of wear and tear from grinding. Grinding your teeth wears away at your teeth’s enamel (which is part of what causes the sensitivity). But, in particularly bad cases of teeth grinding, you can also chip or crack your teeth from grinding them. So, it’s important to address the issue before it brings you a lot more pain and inconvenience.
Consider underlying causes of your teeth grinding habit:
Most often, stress is the major cause of teeth grinding. It creates tension in the body, and, for some people, that tension goes to the jaw. When the jaw is tense, you are more likely to adjust it throughout the night, causing your teeth to grind against each other.
While you can do a lot of things to alleviate stress, it is hard to eliminate it from your life entirely. Still, you should consider working some destressing activities and routines into your schedule. Create a relaxing bedtime routine to help yourself really wind down.
Additionally, you may have tension in your jaw because you have an imperfect bite. If you have an overbite, underbite, or a bite that is slightly set off to the side, you might consider treatments or surgeries to correct the issue.
Since there are no easy, overnight solutions for curing yourself of a teeth grinding habit, you will want to ensure that you take steps to start protecting your teeth as soon as possible.
A mouthguard as the easiest way to protect your teeth:
If you are wondering how to protect your teeth from further damage and increased sensitivity, you will be glad to learn there is an easily accessible option: a night guard. Also known as a mouth guard, this device fits over your teeth and protects them from damaging each other as you sleep.
It acts as both a shock absorber and an abrasion protector against the effects of teeth grinding. Some users even find that using a night guard helps relax the jaw during sleep, which can address the root cause of teeth grinding.
How to get a night guard
There are a few avenues you can take in order to get a night guard. The first is to go through your dentist. Your dentist can take a mold of your mouth and send out to a lab to order a night guard made specifically for your teeth. These custom-made night guards are a great fit and work very well, but the process can be quite costly.
So, many people turn to options found at the local drugstore. These are usually one-size-fits-all designs, which, in reality, work out to be one-size-fits-few designs. That is because these night guards can be too long or short for your teeth. And, since they don’t have as snug a fit, they can wind up sliding around quite a bit. As you can imagine, this doesn’t always work well to prevent tooth sensitivity or damage.
TeethNightGuard.com offers a third option
Over fifteen years ago, Sparkling White Smiles Dental Lab / TeethNightGuard.com realized that we could save customers a lot of money if we offered custom-made night guards directly to those in need, cutting out the middleman: the dentist. With a lab already fully built and staffed in the U.S., we didn’t have to do much to open up our options to customers directly.
We now send customers a kit with directions that are easy to follow. The kit allows customers to make their own impressions of their teeth, right at home. Then, customers send us their molds and choose from range of night guard designs. These designs offer different density options (we point out the most popular designs if you want guidance), and they are all BPA and phthalate free. Then, we make your night guard and send it back to you with our guarantee. Because we believe in our work and in your satisfaction, we have a full 30 day money back guarantee.
If you have sensitive teeth and figure out that you have been damaging them a little more every night because of teeth grinding, it is time to take action and make sure you protect your pearly whites. Choose your night guard here.
STANDARD SOFT FLEXIBLE 3MM CUSTOM TEETH GRINDING NIGHT GUARD - EXCELLENT COMFORT
$99.99
Item Number SWSNG Manufacturer Sparkling White Smiles Dental Lab Rating Product Description 3mm Dual Layer is the Recommended Standard Thickness for a Professionally made Custom Night Guard Our Custom Teeth Night Guards are BPA, Latex and Phthalate Free Night Guard designed… Read More
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