Bruxism or teeth grinding can be a bad habit that is sometimes started against our will. We will explain what bruxism is in further detail below and what measures can be taken in order to prevent it from happening or to stop it completely.

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the medical term widely known as teeth grinding. There are a number of reasons as to why people start to grind their teeth and can have a knock-on effect on your oral health. These reasons can range from issues during sleeping such as snoring and drinking lots of alcohol and caffeine. The most common reason why people grind their teeth tends to be a byproduct of stress and anxiety. Just like there are a number of reasons as to why it can happen, there are ways in which you can help alleviate teeth grinding in order to stop any negative long term effects of bruxism creeping into your day to day life. 

Long-term effects of bruxism

Even if it’s something you do unconsciously, teeth grinding can have a negative impact on your oral health and health in general. Wearing down your teeth by grinding them can increase your likelihood of suffering from tooth sensitivity. Further down the line from this, you can start to develop disturbed sleeping patterns, serious headaches as well as pain around your jaw and even your neck and shoulders.  

How to stop bruxism

As stress and anxiety can lead to you grinding your teeth, the ways in which you can help stop doing this is the same way you can help alleviate signs of stress and anxiety. Finding ways in which you can relax is the best way to help put a stop to teeth grinding. Also getting yourself into a more regimented sleep routine can help reduce both stress and anxiety as well as grinding your teeth. 

Should I be worried?

Bruxism can be a bad habit most likely developed against your will and also affect other aspects of your life. The best way to treat it is by acting early and ensuring that no long-term effects are felt and you can put that stress and worry to the back of your mind.

You can also visit a dental practice if you feel as if bruxism is disturbing your day to day life. Pure Smiles in Fulham can offer you a consultation regarding your bruxism as well as solutions to your teeth grinding.