My hygienist asked if I was aware that I was grinding my teeth? What did she see to make her wonder this? ?Do I grind my teeth? She even asked if I was under any stress! Really? What am I doing to myself? This got me thinking: could you be grinding your teeth and not even know it? Here’s how to know if you’re privy to teeth grinding.

What Are the Signs of?Teeth Grinding?

The hygienist showed me that my teeth showed occlusal wear. The bumps and hills on my back teeth looked flattened out. My front teeth on top were worn to an exact, flat line that matched against my bottom front teeth. Placing my upper and lower teeth together in the front and sliding them side to side, I could see an exact pattern of wear on the edges of my teeth.

Teeth aren’t worn down this way?while chewing food. This typically happens while?sleeping, usually unbeknownst to you unless certain symptoms start to appear. Waking up with headaches, having sore jaw or?joint muscles are signs of clenching or grinding your teeth. Sometimes your partner can hear the teeth grinding noise, too.

How to Stop Teeth Grinding

It is important to protect your teeth against this heavy and unusual stress on the teeth because the impact of grinding your teeth?can be severe. To prevent teeth grinding, the dentist can create a mouth piece that fits exactly over your chewing surface of your teeth. This night guard, or Bruxism appliance, can help relax your jaw to either stop your habit of clenching and grinding, or wear down the plastic rather than your enamel.

So, if you “Ask Jeannie”:?From personal experience, I wear a night guard every night to put a stop to my teeth grinding. This has alleviated my general headaches and relaxed my jaw muscles. Ask your dentist or hygienist if you show signs of grinding your teeth.