Teeth grinding, or bruxism, as it is more commonly called, affects one in three people. Moreover, about 10% of the people who grind their teeth do it so severely that they end up with permanent and serious damage to their teeth. It can affect people of all ages and in time can cause, apart from severe teeth damage, headaches and jaw disorders. It’s important to know that most people grind their teeth at night, but it can happen during the day too. It is a dangerous habit that can be very difficult to diagnose. This is why we have prepared a guide on how to stop grinding your teeth, complete with some tips and natural remedies that you can try.
Some people do not even know that they are grinding their teeth until someone mentions it to them. This is why it’s up to the dentist to discover the signs and treat this problem immediately. Your teeth suffer greatly from teeth grinding, they can chip or even break completely. Your jaw is also affected, as well as your mouth and ears. You can get severe headaches and indentations on the tongue. While doctors usually prescribe mouth guards to stop this habit, some also prefer to prescribe antidepressants and muscle relaxants. But there are also some natural remedies that you can try at home if you also struggle with teeth grinding.
1. Stress management
Most people begin grinding their teeth because of stress and anxiety. To stop doing this can be very difficult, but you can always start with a better management of stress. Some popular and useful techniques include yoga, meditation, physical exercise and some essential oils, for relaxation. Your diet is also extremely important when it comes to stress management. You should follow a balanced, healthy diet and pair it with regular physical exercise. This should calm you and in time, you might stop grinding your teeth.
2. Magnesium
A magnesium deficiency usually leads to anxiety, hyperactivity, irritability and insomnia. These sometimes lead to teeth grinding. So, for adults, they can take a magnesium supplement before going to bed in order to sleep better. However, it’s also important to eat foods that are rich in magnesium like yoghurt, pumpkin seeds, spinach, avocado, figs, bananas and dark chocolate.
3. Vitamin C
Apart from a better management of stress and a magnesium supplement, you can also boost your Vitamin C intake if you suffer from teeth grinding. Our adrenal glands use Vitamin C, which affects how we respond to stress. It is also a very important ingredient of dopamine, which helps us regulate our moods. So, it would be best to eat more foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Those include kiwi, red and green peppers, strawberries, oranges, or broccoli. You can mix some of these ingredients into a delicious smoothie to enjoy throughout the day.
Wrapping it all up
It’s crucial to treat teeth grinding as early as possible because in time, it can lead to severe teeth damage along with many other problems like jaw issues, headaches or sleep apnea. So, what did you think about our guide on how to stop grinding your teeth? Do these natural remedies seem useful? Do you suffer from bruxism? Let us know what you think down below!
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