Teeth grinding or bruxism can have a serious impact on your life. If you suspect that you suffer from teeth grinding or bruxism, carry on reading to find out more about the side effects of this increasingly common health condition.
Headaches and Teeth Grinding
Do you wake up with a headache in the morning? If you do, there is clearly something wrong. Don't worry, it does not mean that you have a major health condition such as sleep apnea.
It could mean that you are going through a stressful period in your life and you are grinding your teeth as a reaction to stress. One of the primary indicators of stress is teeth grinding in your sleep. This is not something that your Fitbit Sleep function is going to help you to diagnose.
The best thing you can do is to visit your doctor or dentist. Once your condition has been diagnosed, you can choose how to deal with the situation. Dental treatment can help, but so can other ways of protecting your teeth and gums like using a mouthguard.
Do Your Teeth Hurt?
Grinding your teeth when you sleep or subconsciously during the day, can lead to dental pain. It may not be the visual part of the teeth that cause you pain. Instead, it is often the part of the tooth that makes up part of the gum that hurts.
In the long run, teeth grinding can lead to your teeth being more sensitive. For instance, cold or hot fluids can cause you unexpected dental pain. This means the nerve part of your tooth or teeth is affected.
The best thing you can do as soon as you notice the condition is to invest in a mouthguard. Don't worry, unless your grind your teeth during the day, you don't have to wear it all of the time. Wearing it when you sleep is often enough.
Is Your Jaw Aching?
Did you wake up with an aching jaw this morning? This is a sure sign that you are grinding your teeth when you sleep. In the long term, grinding your teeth when you sleep leads to tooth damage. The enamel in your teeth becomes brittle and begins to wear away. A nighttime mouthguard could help a lot. However, it is important to find out what is causing the problem.
Grinding your teeth during the day is also very common. Think about what you do when you sit in front of your computer. If you clench your teeth as you are working away on your keyboard, it often means that you are grinding your teeth at the same time. As mentioned above it will lead to your jaw aching.