Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Do you Grind your Teeth?

I was asked by a parent today concerning her son's habit of grinding his teeth during sleep.

Teeth grinding or Bruxism is a common problem in both Adults and children. Usually it is a sign of tension but it can be because the teeth are not aligned properly. It is aggravated by stress.

In children it can occur during the daytime, but more commonly occurs in both adults and children during sleep.


Some things you can try

  1. Try to relax before bed. Listen to soft music, practise meditation etc
  2. Slowly munch on something like an apple to loosen the muscles of the jaw
  3. Take a warm bath before bed
  4. Use a hot towel applied to the sides of the face. This will relax the muscles of the jaw
  5. If you grind during the day, be aware and try to stop grinding
  6. You should visit the dentist who may fit a plastic device to protect the teeth at night
  7. The doctor may prescribe some medication for relaxation although this is best avoided
For more info click here

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is it normal for a 4 month old to stick out his tongue regularly?

Anonymous said...

Gwendal only learn to stick out her tongue recently. Slow? hehe

She is also grinding her teeth sometimes but I think it is more to past time, not due to stress(?) or she is too stress wif her mum (?) ;P

Unknown said...

I suffer from bruxism at night, and luckily I managed to find a dentist who could prescribe a mouth guard (called a splint) to prevent further erosion of my tooth enamel. Because it was so bad, part of the ridges on my teeth were worn down and it somewhat affected the way I eat too. Anyway, I guess its probably due to stress since my last few jobs were in highly tense PR, advertising and events related areas!

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