There are many reasons why you may clench your jaw or grind your teeth, and the primary one is stress. Most people are under immense stress with what is going on in the world right now. Experts say the stress caused by the pandemic has led to increased cases of jaw clenching and teeth grinding. Either way, if you have either or both of those conditions, you might want to know what exactly is going on and what to do about it. Keep reading to learn about the causes of both and the best treatments to get the relief you crave.
Do You Grind Your Teeth or Clench Your Jaws?
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding often go together but doing one does not necessarily mean you are doing the other. Both of them stem from the way you hold and move your jaw, with grinding presenting as changes in the colour and shape of the tooth.
In mild cases, the back teeth are ground to the point where the enamel is completely gone. In extreme cases, the teeth are so worn that you see the dentin. The enamel is the first white layer that is worn in mild grinders, and the dentin is the second yellowish-brown layer that is often seen in serious grinders. A dentist can tell which one you are by simply looking at your teeth.
Another way to know if you grind your teeth is teeth that appear round, have a curved surface or are shorter than expected. Flat teeth are also a sign of clenching. Normal teeth are supposed to have small bums that help the upper and lower teeth fit snuggly. The teeth of people who clench and grind will also have progressively shorter teeth as you move from the front to back. You may also see chips in the teeth.
With most of the tooth gone, the pressure from biting and grinding is transferred to the gums. With this increase in pressure, the gums can start to recede because they are not meant to bear this pressure. The result is bleeding gums, which many people mistakenly associate with brushing too hard. Dentists also notice vertical cracks on the teeth, and these cracks can become bigger and even lead to the tooth splitting if you bite into something hard.
Both the effects of pressure on the gums and cracks on the teeth lead to tooth sensitivity. While there are instances where this sensitivity is caused by cavities, it is also caused by grinding and clenching in many cases. Lastly, if you have headaches that are not responding to common painkillers, you may grind or clench your teeth without knowing it, maybe at night. You should see a dentist if this is the case.
Causes of Clenching and Grinding
If you have any signs of clenching or grinding, you may be wondering what caused it. A common cause is overactive muscles, which is a sign of stress. This can be seen in people who have square faces as well as intact front teeth and worn back teeth. To remedy this, several muscle relaxation and decompression techniques are used.
Another common cause is misaligned or crowded teeth. In these cases, the jaw keeps moving around to find the correct spot for the teeth to rest. This results in increased grinding and clenching as the jaw tries to settle.
Sleep apnoea is another common cause of clenching and grinding. Since most people grind and clench while they sleep, how they sleep can affect whether they do it and how often they do it. When we sleep, the muscles in the mouth and throat relax and the tongue covers the airway. The jaw has to move around to move the tongue out of the way and this leads to the grinding motion.
Treating Jaw Clenching and Teeth Grinding
One of the first things a doctor will recommend is a nightguard. The guard keeps the teeth away from each other and absorbs the pressure if you clench your jaw at night. By doing both of these, the guard does not stop the grinding or clenching but helps the teeth move over each other to reduce the effects of these motions.
Consider Getting Your Teeth Straightened
If the reason you clench your jaw or grind your teeth is due to misaligned teeth, getting your teeth straightened can help with the issue. The main way teeth straightening helps with both of these issues is by relieving the strain on the temporomandibular joint which is the cause of the headaches, earaches, neck and shoulder pain you experience.
There are several options when it comes to teeth straightening, and one that has been shown to work effectively is clear aligners. These are braces that are made out of clear plastic that fit snugly over the teeth. They help position the teeth where they should sit naturally so you no longer have the realignment issues that are causing clenching and grinding.
To ensure the aligners are effective for these conditions, you have to get the right aligners and wear them as directed. An orthodontist will advise you to wear the aligners for 20-23 hours every day even when sleeping (which is when most grinding and clenching occurs). You should only take your aligners out if you are eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth.
There are three main reasons why clear aligners can help with both of these issues. First, they help protect your teeth while you sleep. For this, they work as some sort of brace to protect your teeth from coming into direct contact with each other.
Second, they adjust your bite so that you do not have an over, under or crossbite, all of which cause clenching. Lastly, the teeth straightening will help retrain the muscles involved so they sit naturally. Once these teeth sit as they are supposed to, the teeth clenching should be sorted permanently.
All three of these are great reasons why clear aligners help with teeth grinding and jaw clenching, but why should you choose them over other teeth straightening options? First of all, they are inconspicuous enough that they can be won in professional settings. Next, you do not need to go in for countless dental appointments, and lastly, wearing the aligners as directed means you get your teeth straightened in as little as 3-6 months. Lastly, there are lots of affordable, orthodontist-led treatments through companies like Straight My Teeth. Their aligners are clearer and cheaper than other aligners in the market and they carry out remote monitoring to ensure you are seeing the best results possible. Straight My Teeth also has Night-only aligner options for those who are not comfortable wearing the aligners in front of company. Check out straightmyteeth.com if you are looking to get your teeth straightened fast.
Botox
Some doctors will cautiously advise you to get Botox to fix teeth grinding and jaw clenching. The doctor will need to do a thorough examination, see which muscles are stiff or under stress, see if you have any issues grinding or clenching and then chart the course of treatment. A dermatologist, plastic or oral surgeon can then administer masseter injections to help relieve the strain and stress thus eliminating clenching and grinding.
Teeth grinding and jaw clenching affects so many people and causes so much damage, sometimes in people who do not even know they are doing either or both. Now that you know how to determine if you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, and understand the treatment options, you can talk to your doctor so they can advise on the way forward.
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