Grinding Your Teeth Causes Serious Dental Health Problems
Stop the Grind! You're Hurting Your Teeth
I love a fancy word for an everyday problem. Maybe that's why learning the term sleep bruxism — my nocturnal habit of clenching my jaw in my sleep — in a recent New York Times story makes me feel a teensy bit better about my bad habit. 
The term bruxism covers both teeth grinding and jaw clenching, and both can leave a person with an awful headache in the morning. What's worse, sleep bruxism can permanently damage teeth, causing them to crack or wear down prematurely. So what's a person with a serious amount of jaw tension to do? Essentially, work on releasing the stress and wear a mouth guard to bed. Sexy, I know, but those mouth guards really help.
Don’t skimp on the mouth guard, though. Pay the big bucks to have your dentist fabricate a guard that fits your mouth perfectly. Buying an over-the-counter mouth guard, like the ones people wear for contact sports, actually stimulates the griding action and can make the problem worse. If you are waking up with a tension headache, you just might be a grinder or a clencher, and it might be a good idea to discuss this issue with your dentist at your next appointment. You do go to the dentist every six months for a cleaning, right?
Fit's Tip: Smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and poor sleep habits can all contribute to the problem, so if you suffer from sleep bruxism, pay attention to your symptoms and work on creating healthy sleep habits.
How about you? Are you a grinder or a clencher? Tell me in the comments section below.
