Bruxism/Clenching Symptoms

• Headaches, especially in the morning

• Facial Pain

• Earaches

• Sore jaw muscles

• Pain while eating

• Tinnitus

• Difficulty opening and closing your mouth

What is happening?

When you grind your teeth, your lower jaw in shifting in a direction (likely forward). This then allows for a little bit of air to pass in the back of the your throat, allowing for an increase in oxygen intake.

When you clench your teeth, you are placing the muscles in your palate into an isometric hold thus allowing for a slight opening in the airway.

Treatment

Mouth guards The go to solution for grinding and clenching is often a mouth guard. While mouth guard are great for protecting your teeth from the damage that grinding and clenching causes to your teeth, they actually allow you clench harder.

CPAP machine This will allow for continuous air pressure to open up your airway and allow for oxygen to flow.

Stress reduction techniques Finding ways to manage stress may reduce bruxism symptoms and allow for a change in sleep pattern that will prevent the lighter sleep that takes place and is associated with obstructive sleep disorders.

Medications Taking a muscle relaxer can be beneficial if you don’t clench or grind regularly. At the same time, if you relax your muscles the risk of airway obstruction increases with the relaxation of the tongue and other orofacial muscles. Most healthcare providers only recommend this approach temporarily.

Botulinum toxin injections In severe cases, healthcare providers might recommend Botox® for teeth grinding. These injections temporarily relax your jaw muscles and reduce pain. You’ll need repeat treatments to maintain your results — usually every three to four months.

All of the treatment listed above are temporary fixes. If you or your child clenches or grinds, a comprehensive health evaluation is recommended. Often times this starts with a sleep study