Bruxism is the medical term for the grinding of teeth, the clenching of jaws or lock jaw that and often happens during sleep or stressful situations.
Periodic grinding of your jaw can cause serious oral health problems including excessive wear of the tooth and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).
Primary causes of bruxism are stress and anxiety. Once it becomes a habit, it can be hard to stop.
With Mild Bruxism, most patients recognize they are clenching or grinding and it typically happens at night. Symptoms include cheek and lip biting, hypersensitive teeth, some enamel wear, and clicking or locking of the temporomandibular joints.
With more Advanced Bruxism, most patients have serious jaw disorders, headaches and more extreme enamel loss or fracturing of the teeth.
Becoming more aware of your habits and suing exercises designed for reducing or eliminating. bruxism, you can take control of your clenching and grinding. Awareness assessments help you to address both the root cause and steps to prevent you from continued grinding. Myofunctional Therapy can be an effective way to tailor a plan specific to your needs to normalize the jaw muscle and joints, as well as other muscles along the side of the head.