How do you find out?
There are three big symptoms of teeth grinding you can recognise. The first one is that your teeth start to wear. Since you’re subconsciously applying a lot of pressure to your teeth and moving them around, parts of the enamel on your teeth can come off. You might not notice this immediately, but your dentist will be able to see and point it out to you. They can help you and supply you with a mouthguard that will prevent you from applying too much pressure in the future.
Headache
The second symptom that can mean you’re grinding your teeth is frequent headaches. Clenching your jaws can lead to headaches or even migraines. Do you often wake up with a headache? Then that might mean you’ve been grinding your teeth during the night.
Sore jaw
When you’re grinding or clenching, you inadvertently apply a lot of pressure to your jaw, which can lead to it being sore. You can notice this when you’re chewing or swallowing. You might also be unable to open your mouth properly and the pain can travel to your ear as well.
Treatment
There’s no ‘cure’ for teeth grinding, but there are solutions that can alleviate the symptoms. The first thing is to ask your dentist to have a mouthguard made for you to wear at night. Besides that, your dentist might advise you to fix the damage that has been done to your teeth already. If you clench your jaw a lot, you might be sent to a physiotherapist who will teach you relaxation exercises that will help you change your clenching behaviour. When your problem is caused by mental issues, a psychologist can help you resolve those. If nothing else works, Botox can be a last resort.
Read more: Sensitive teeth can be caused by these 7 things
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