9 Effective Home Remedies to Stop Teeth Grinding at Night
Do you grind your teeth at night due to stress from your job or home life?
Grinding your teeth wears off the enamel faster. It can cause headaches, earaches, TMJ, fractured teeth and sensitive teeth.
You may wonder what you can do to stop it.
Well, there are several ways to help reduce grinding and improve your overall health.
- Improve Your Sleep Routine
Learn some ways to relax before going to bed.
- Stop working on the computer or watching TV about an hour before bedtime.
- Try taking a warm bath or hot shower to relax.
- Do not drink any caffeinated beverages before going to sleep.
- Drink some milk, hot chocolate, herbal tea or water before bedtime.
- Try reading, drawing, doing a puzzle or playing a board game.
- Keep your bedroom dark and the temperature comfortable.
A good night’s sleep can help reduce grinding your teeth.
- Mouth Guards
Mouth guards are dental devices that are worn at night in the mouth to protect teeth and jaw. They are also called night guards and you can have them custom made.
SmileBrilliant makes custom night guards where they send an impression kit to your home and their lab service will make a customized mouth guard for you. Customized mouth guards fit better and dentists even recommend wearing them during the day.
A custom mouth guard helps you to cut down on grinding your teeth and protects your teeth from the damage grinding causes.
- Massage Your Face and Jaws
Massaging your jaws and face every day helps reduce muscle tensions in the jaw.
Using your fingers, start massaging your cheek near your ears and massage your face in a circular motion, moving up and down your cheek and jaw for about 3 to 5 minutes.
If you find it helps relieve stress and tension in your jaw then do this a few times a day. Some dentists recommend jaw and muscle exercises to reduce teeth grinding.
- Exercise To Relieve Stress
Stress can cause you to grind your teeth. Develop a daily exercise routine in your schedule to relieve stress.
You can take a short walk in your neighborhood or at work on break. Working out at the gym, biking, swimming, yoga, housework, working in the yard or gardening are good to relieve stress.
Try to exercise at least 20 minutes a day. You will find exercise helps you relax and prevents you from grinding your teeth at night.
- Use a Warm or Hot Towel On Your Face
In the morning and evening, fill the sink basin with warm water and press it against your face and jaw for a few minutes.
The warmth from the water will relax your face and jaw, relieving any pain or tension. You can rub the jaw in a circular motion and do this for 5 to 10 minutes with the warm cloth.
Steaming your face is another way to relax the jaws and muscles of your face.
- Improve Your Diet
Avoid taking caffeine.
Too much coffee can make you nervous and jittery and can lead to grinding your teeth. Eating foods high in Vitamin C can reduce stress and help produce dopamine, a substance that helps to regulate your moods.
Foods high in Vitamin C improve your immune system and protect you against infections and bacteria. Drink milk at night as it promotes relaxation and sleep. Some people add turmeric to the milk to relieve the pain.
Avoid chewy foods like caramels, sticky candy and gum that you need to chew vigorously. Avoid tough cuts of meats and foods hard to chew.
For breakfast eat cooked cereal and whole grain breads filled with nutrition. Eat some green and orange vegetables in your lunch and dinner. Add food with calcium and magnesium in your diet.
Steamed or cooked vegetables are better than raw. Yogurt, soft fruits, ice cream and sorbet are easy on your teeth. Bananas, strawberries and sliced oranges stimulate saliva production, which prevents tooth decay. Some foods may even help strengthen your teeth.
- Meditation or Deep Breathing
Learning meditation techniques can help you relax the muscles of your face.
This will keep you from grinding your teeth during the day and evening. Mediation can be used to focus just on the muscles in the face and jaw or the entire body. This practice can relieve stress.
Deep breathing exercises are another way to achieve a calmer physical and mental attitude, thus reducing grinding your teeth.
- Cut Down On Certain Foods, Smoking and Alcohol
Stay away from hard nuts and food with too much sugar as it is not good for your teeth.
Don’t smoke and drink alcohol before bed. Nicotine and alcohol contain stimulants that can make you stay awake and toss-and-turn during the night.
- Brush With Products For Sensitive Teeth
Brush your teeth with a soft bristle and buy one designed for those with sensitive teeth.
When you brush, use light circular motions to get all your teeth front and back. Use toothpaste for sensitive teeth and avoid any dental products that might aggravate your condition.
Conclusion
These are some remedies to reduce teeth grinding. Mouth guards are one of the most popular methods recommended by dentists and interestingly all above remedies can be used along with wearing a night guard.
