How To Stop Teeth Grinding | Daytime and Sleep Bruxism Guide

Questions To Ask About Your Treatment

You should also be prepared with your own questions that will shed more light on your condition and provide more information necessary to formulate an individualized plan.

The questions should include:

1. Why do I grind my teeth? ​

2. Which types of tests will I be required to undergo in order to determine the causes? 

3. What are the treatment options possible?

4. What are the best treatments in my case?

5. Will there be a need for me to consult with a specialist?​ This is in case you have an underlying medical condition or you have complications from bruxism.

6. What resources are available to help me cope with bruxism?

You and your dentist have to work closely in order to determine whether you may have bruxism or not. Many of its signs and symptoms are similar to other medical conditions so it’s important for your dentist to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

What Causes Teeth Grinding​?

The importance of identifying the teeth grinding causes in each case cannot be overemphasized. Every case is unique, from its set of causes and its type (i.e. sleep or awake) to its frequency and severity.

The treatment plan should then be made according to the individual’s specific circumstances which will increase the chances for a successful treatment.

Keep in mind that the cause of teeth grinding can’t always be clearly identified.

But bruxism is typically linked to a wide range of factors including stress, sleep issues and anxiety. You and your dentist will then agree on the best possible course of action depending on the set of factors that contributes to your teeth grinding habit.  

The most common causes of teeth grinding are discussed below.  

Stress And Anxiety

Many people who grind their teeth aren’t aware that it’s linked to stress and/or anxiety in their lives. It may be from a traumatic episode in their life or a radical life change. Such as the knowledge of infidelity, a divorce or a deep frustration at work.

It usually happens during sleep so the affected person doesn’t know he or she has developed the habit.  

Medication

This is true even when these medications have possibly caused your teeth grinding habit.  Your psychiatrist will determine whether you can stop with your medications to switch you to another drug.

Sleep disorders

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that interrupts breathing while the affected person is sleeping. It’s the most common cause of teeth grinding, not to mention that it requires appropriate medical treatment as it has several complications when left untreated.

Furthermore, people who do one or more of these things also have higher chances of grinding their teeth at night:

• Talk or mumble in their sleep
• Have violent behaviors in their sleep, such as punching and kicking
• Have sleep paralysis, a condition characterized by the temporary inability to speak or move either while falling asleep or waking up
• Experience hallucinations while semi-conscious

If you think that you may have a sleep disorder or you do these things, you have to ask your sleep partner to make notes about it.

Your dentist and/or doctor will use the information in determining both the cause of your teeth grinding and its treatment as well as the treatment for its underlying cause (e.g. sleep apnea).

Teeth grinding, especially among people with sleep disorders, also happens at night due to the body’s natural cycle. Throughout the night, the brain goes through a cycle of lighter and deeper sleep stages (i.e. REM and non-REM). As the brain approaches the deeper sleep stage, all of the body’s muscles relax that, in turn can cause issues with the airway.

Basically, the jaw becomes heavy causing a blocked airway. The fully relaxed tongue also expands to nearly twice its normal size, which also results in a blocked airway.  

These lifestyle factors can also be linked to the other bruxism risk factors. For example, the use of recreational drugs and/or alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress can worsen the teeth grinding episodes.

The excessive consumption of caffeine during the day, even into the night as a night cap after dinner, can contribute to sleepless nights and to increased anxiety.  

Your dentist and/or doctor will consider all these factors as possible causes in your teeth grinding habit before narrowing them down. Again, you must be prepared for your appointment by writing down the abovementioned notes and questions.  

Why Seek Treatment For Bruxism?

We also want to go beyond the effective ways of how to stop grinding your teeth and venture into the reasons for adopting these methods in the first place. Keep in mind that untreated bruxism can cause complications ​such as the following:

• Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which can be caused by pain and stiffness in the jaw joint and its surrounding muscles
• Fractured teeth and/or teeth loss with the possibility of installing partial or complete dentures or implants to replace the damaged teeth
• Sleep deprivation can cause the slowdown of the release of the human growth hormone, as well as interupt deep sleep resulting in decreased memory function, metabolism and muscle building. Sleep deprivation can also increase the risk of hypertension, strokes and diabetes.

The bottom line is that when you grind your teeth at night, your body is being deprived of the health benefits of uninterrupted sleep. You must then seek treatment for it and adopt the suggested methods!  

​​Methods To Stop Teeth Grinding

If your doctor and/or dentist say that you will require treatment for teeth grinding, then you should cooperate. In many cases, treatment isn’t necessary, such as in mild bruxism and in children who are more likely to outgrow it.

But if the problem ranges between moderate and severe, then therapies and medications will likely be a must to prevent further teeth damage, relieve jaw pain and ensure better quality of sleep.

Be sure to know the pros and cons, as well as the suitability, of these general methods in your case. You may not require dental correction procedures but will benefit from medications and therapies.  

Dental Methods

Your dentist may suggest methods in preserving or improving the appearance of your teeth. Emphasis must be made, nonetheless, that these methods may not stop your teeth grinding habit.

• A ​mouth guard is placed in the mouth and designed to keep the upper and lower teeth separated. These oral appliances then prevent teeth damage caused by grinding, clenching and gnashing at night. These aren’t suitable for all people so ask your dentist first before using one of them.  
• Dental correction is recommended for severe cases where tooth wear has already caused teeth sensitivity and/or chewing issues. Your dentist can use crowns in repairing the damage or reshaping your teeth’s chewing surfaces.  

These methods will involve, an unnecessary and unwelcome expense for many understandably. But if you want to stop teeth grinding, you should seriously consider these options.

Stress Management

If your teeth grinding habit is caused by stress and/or anxiety, you can kick it by learning strategies for effectively coping with it. Your main goal here is to find ways that will keep your mind and body as relaxed as possible.

You may also require the professional help of a licensed counselor or therapist, especially if you have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder like depression or anxiety disorder.  

If you like clenching your teeth while awake as a response to a stressful situation, you should relax your mind and your body, especially your jaw and mouth.

You can also meditate in a quiet room for a few minutes until such time that the need to grind your teeth has passed. You may also distract yourself, such as listen to relaxing music, watch funny videos and walk briskly for a few minutes for this purpose, too.

​Controlling Your Habits

Learning new habits is also a great thing to control your teeth grinding episodes. For one thing, you can be aware of your teeth and mouth’s placement. Keep your teeth apart while your mouth is closed, a habit that you can learn with practice.

Your teeth should only be touching when you’re chewing food or swallowing it. Be aware that whenever your jaw starts to clench, a sign that teeth grinding will likely follow.

You should then slightly drop your jaw down so that your teeth don’t touch, feel your jaw and facial muscles relax, and hold the position for a few minutes.  

You can also train your tongue, in a manner of speaking, by letting it rest lightly behind your upper front teeth. With your lips together and your teeth apart in this position, you are less likely to clench your jaw and grind your teeth during the day. 

Be Mindful Of What You Chew

For another thing, you should stop chewing on things that aren’t food like pens, pencils, and fingernails. These are hard items that when chewed on for relatively prolonged periods will contribute to your jaw muscles being used to clenching.

You are then more likely to grind your teeth in response to stressful situations – or worse, in an unconscious manner.  

You should also avoid eating chewy foods since these have the same effect as gnawing on pens and pencils. These include gum, popcorn and steak. If you must eat these foods for one reason or another, you are well-advised to keep it to a minimum; doing so will give your jaw muscles a break and relieve your jaw’s soreness.

If you’re still having a difficult time adopting these new habits, or getting rid of your old ones, you may ask your doctor about biofeedback. Here, you will be taught effective techniques in controlling the activity of your jaw and its surrounding muscles.  

Referral To A Specialist

If your teeth grinding habit seems to be linked to an underlying sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, your dentist or doctor will likely refer you to a sleep medicine specialist.

You will be asked to undergo diagnostic tests, such as a sleep study, to determine the specific sleep disorder and to assess your teeth grinding episodes. You may then be placed on a treatment plan to address the underlying medical condition.

But sleep disorders aren’t the only underlying cause of bruxism. You may, for example, have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) so it must be treated in order to improve your bruxism symptoms.  

Medications

If your teeth grinding is linked to the use of certain medications, such as SSRIs, your doctor may change them in terms of dosage or type. But if it isn’t, then your doctor may recommend medications to ​cease your teeth grinding symptoms.

Emphasis must be made that more research is necessary to determine the efficacy of medications as an adjunct treatment for bruxism. Your doctor, nonetheless, may use one or more of these medications:

• Muscle relaxants, which may be taken before bedtime, are usually recommended only for a short period. These have side effects when taken for prolonged periods.
• Botox injections, which are usually used as part of a cosmetic procedure (i.e. non-invasive face lift), may be used on patients who aren’t responsive to other treatments. These should only be done by a qualified dermatologist because the toxin has adverse side effects that will worsen your condition.  
• Prescription medications for stress or anxiety may also be recommended. These are designed to help patients deal with emotional and mental issues including stress, which may be causing bruxism.

If you observe side effects or your teeth grinding episodes seem to be getting worse despite these medications, you should immediately notify your doctor. You may have to stop with these medications and find other options.  

Lifestyle And Home Remedies

These lifestyle factors are a must regardless of the medications, oral appliances, and therapies suggested by your dentist, doctor and/or licensed therapist. These self-care steps may, in fact, prevent future episodes of bruxism.

• Avoid stimulants in the evening. Drinking coffee and tea, especially the caffeinated varieties, as well as drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco products can worsen bruxism.   
• Adopt good sleeping habits. Go to bed at a regular time, engage in relaxing activities (e.g. a warm bath) before bedtime and turn off appliances and gadgets before hitting the sack. Your bed should only be for sex and sleeping.  
• Adopt good oral healthcare habits too. Schedule regular dental visits, brush your teeth after every meal and use your teeth for their specific uses only. And don’t forget to floss! Water flossers will improve your overall dental health so be sure to add them to your daily routine.

We also suggest adopting a good exercise program, even if it’s just a daily 30-minute brisk walk. Regular physical exercise alleviates stress and anxiety, as well as contributes to good sleep at night.  

​Stop Grinding Teeth At Night Without Night Guard

Many people also want to know how to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally – that is, without the use of a night guard or a mouth guard.

As we previously mentioned, wearing a mouth guard at night isn’t suitable for everybody with bruxism. This is because it repositions the jaw in a way that makes the airway’s obstruction even worse than it is.

Instead, you can stop teeth grinding in your sleep by adopting these tips.

• Try the jaw clenching remedies. You can hold a warm washcloth or a heating pad against your cheek and jaw (i.e. just in front of your earlobe) to relax your facial muscles here. You may also relax your jaw and its surrounding muscles by moving it from side to side and opening and closing your mouth for about five minutes. Be careful not to let your teeth touch during the exercise.
• Give yourself a gentle massage. Start with your legs and arms, followed by your waist and then your head. You can end your self-massage with a gentle yet firm massage on your jaws. You are basically allowing your body in general and your jaw in particular to relax before you hit the hay.  The calmer you are, the less likely you will grind your teeth in sleep.
• Don’t eat chewy foods at any time during the day, especially for dinner. You will then be adopting a surprising yet effective way how to relax your jaw since you’re not subjecting it to more chewing than it needs to do.  

Of course, you should also consider the other recommended remedies mentioned above, such as avoidance of alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drugs, as well as adopting relaxation methods.

How To Stop Kids Grinding Teeth At Night

Unfortunately, tooth grinding in children is a common issue – about 15% to 33% of children have bruxism. Unlike adults, however, children are most likely to grind their teeth the most during these times:

• first, when their baby teeth emerge, and
• second, when their permanent teeth emerge.

Fortunately, most children will lose the habit when their full set of baby teeth and permanent teeth have fully emerged.

Most children also grind their teeth while sleeping instead of during their waking hours for reasons yet unknown to science. Researchers also don’t know the exact reasons for teeth grinding in children but the commonly accepted theories include:

• Improper teeth alignment
• Irregular contact between the upper and lower teeth
• Health conditions, such as allergies, malnutrition and pinworms
• Psychological factors like stress and anxiety

If your child’s dentist say that he or she has bruxism, you can adopt these child-specific tips to prevent teeth grinding, especially during the night: