The cure for bruxism or teeth grinding is dependent on the root cause of the teeth grinding disease. Teeth grinding comes in different levels of severity. For kids, intensive treatment courses are rarely necessary because they usually outgrow the condition. However, if it affects their health considerably, it is best that you consult either a dentist or a doctor about it.
The same is true with adults. There are just a handful of teeth grinding instances that require therapy or surgery. But then again, if the damage becomes apparent, the problem had to be addressed right away. This is to prevent future concerns arising from the condition.
Here are the most common treatment procedures for teeth grinding:
Stress is the most common reason for teeth clenching. Dentists usually make the initial diagnosis on the patient by checking his or her teeth. And after a series of health questions, he should be able to formulate the assumption as to why a person grinds his or her teeth. If the dentist strongly thinks that the problem is caused by stress, then professional stress counseling may be requested. The dentist would then refer his patient to a stress therapy expert.
Stress management is usually performed through total body relaxation achieved with meditation and exercise. However, if the problem is not too severe, a warm bath and a cup of milk or chocolate before bed should do the trick. For kids, try to ease out their fears and tensions by talking to them or reading them their favorite book a few minutes before bedtime.
Dentist is the first line of experts you will consult with in cases of bruxism. And dentists usually prescribe the use of mouth guards, splints, or any similar protective dental devices to be worn at night. Right now, there are a lot of mouth guards available over-the-counter. You can also request your dentist to customize one for you. Customized mouth guards are usually more expensive than other variants. However, they perform better than its counterparts. Mouth guards that are readily available in drug stores may not fit well and could dislodge when teeth grinding.
Some dentists would recommend surgery as opposed to dental appendages. More people prefer this method as well. For such cases, dentists use crowns or overlays on teeth to reshape its surface for better chewing. This addresses problems rooting from one's incapacity to chew food properly as well as tooth sensitivity. Some extensive reconstructive dental procedures may also be prescribed. However, most of them can't guarantee that one's teeth grinding habits stop altogether. They merely performed to prevent the impending damages associated to the condition.
Teeth grinding has been long regarded as a habit. And it is quite a bad habit at that. Elimination of bad habits is usually carried out through a series of behavior therapy sessions. A lot of centers are now specializing in teeth grinding. Strategies like proper mouth and jaw positioning, concentration, and constant tongue practice are used to address the condition. Behavior therapies may also use some alternative medicines to further help make a person forget his teeth clenching habits.
There are just a few drugs that can address the onset of bruxism and the results are not the same against all people. Some doctors prescribe muscle relaxants, which is supposed to be taken before bedtime. Psychological drugs like anti-depression pills may trigger bruxism. For cases like this, doctors have to prescribe their patients a different set of drugs – the ones that that would not induce teeth grinding.
These are the five most common cures for bruxism. Even if your condition is minor, it is still advised that you don’t self medicate. It is best to consult a qualified physician so you'll be guided to the right course of action and the most effective cure for your condition.