Teeth grinding usually happens at night. It happens as a consequence of stress, psychological tension and anxiety, and in most of the cases it is just temporary stage. Small number of patients have consequences caused by this activity. These consequences refer to the chewing system, because of overly “spending” of the teeth and pain in the muscles used when chewing.
Besides expert help, here are few ways to help yourself:
Do not chew chewing gums. According to some studies, chewing gums more than few hours during the day is connected to teeth grinding.
Consume more magnesium. Also, several studies connected the lack of magnesium with bruxism (the medical term for teeth grinding), which makes sense to some extent because magnesium plays a big role in the regular work of the nervous system,
Increase the intake of omega-3 fats. Bruxism can be connected to apnea, or the condition which leads to interrupted breathing during sleep. This recommendation is due to the fact that omega 3 fats slow down the apnea symptoms.
Decrease the consumption of caffeine. Coffee consumption, especially before going to bed can cause teeth clenching during the night, according to the report by the American Sleep Association.
Cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps to identify feelings like stress, anxiety and other negative emotions as well as their source. It also teaches you how to control the negative emotions that can be the cause of bruxism.
