Perform this procedure as soon as you notice tension or pain in your jaw. You can also repeat the procedure immediately before known times of high stress to help prevent tension before it builds. The warmth should relax the muscles in your jaw and help them loosen up. A relaxed jaw is less likely to tense up and begin clenching again.
It’s best to perform this exercise before you have the opportunity to clench your jaw, but you can also repeat it after you notice jaw tension or pain. Massaging the affected area can release tension in the muscles of your jaw. Once the muscles have relaxed and loosened up, you’ll naturally be less inclined to clench them.
When you close your lips, a slight gap between your upper and lower teeth should still remain. Place the tip of your tongue in between your front teeth. Hold it there for at least five minutes. During this time, your jaw muscles should relax and reset to a more natural position. If this simple correction doesn’t feel comfortable or helpful, you may need to ask your dentist to show you the best position for your jaw. Memorize the way it feels and take pictures of the way it looks. Consult those pictures later while practicing the same placement in front of a mirror.
You can increase your intake of these nutrients through diet or by taking daily nutritional supplements. If you choose to take nutritional supplements, know that you should take one part magnesium for every two parts calcium. For instance, you might take 600 mg of calcium and 300 mg of magnesium. The amount of vitamin C should be determined independently; an adequate daily dose is 90 mg daily. Repeat your nutrient ritual daily for at least two months before determining if it has or hasn’t been helpful.
Consider keeping a journal to help track your causes of stress. Make a note of any incident that causes anxiety, even if it seems mild, and pay special attention to causes of stress that occur immediately before or during daytime incidents of jaw clenching. Avoid any stress triggers that can be eliminated. For triggers that cannot be eliminated, balance them out with behaviors that help relax your mind. For instance, you might listen to soothing music, indulge in a warm bubble bath, meditate, or ease your mind with aromatherapy.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, regardless of your schedule. Try to schedule a full eight hours of sleep in between. In addition to increasing the amount of sleep you get, you should also try to improve the quality of sleep. Try to completely relax your body and mind before going to bed. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, since both can alter the body’s sleep cycle. Sleep at comfortable, slightly cool temperatures, and turn off all bright lights and sources of irregular noise.
You don’t need to perform strenuous exercise to gain these benefits. Try walking at a slow to moderate pace for 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. Make this a regular part of your routine for at least two months, if not permanently.
Mouth guards are generally made of hard plastic. You’ll still feel pain caused by clenching the jaw, and that pain may worsen the underlying tension. Dental splints are made from soft acrylic and fitted to the shape of your mouth. They won’t stop your jaw from clenching, but they should reduce the associated pain and may prevent the tension in your jaw from worsening. Note that both mouth guards and splints are generally reserved for nighttime treatment, but in extreme cases when daytime clenching is an issue, you can wear the equipment during daytime hours.
Braces may help correct severely misaligned teeth. In some cases, however, your dentist may recommend strategically placed crowns to fix the problem. If you have a damaged tooth, rebuilding that tooth can help restore the proper alignment of your teeth.
Biofeedback is a type of physical therapy. During the procedure, the doctor will examine the way you hold and control your jaw through specialized monitoring equipment. The doctor can use the same equipment to help train and regulate muscle activity in your jaw. Cognitive behavioral therapy treats the psychological component behind jaw clenching. By talking with a trained psychologist or counselor, you can change the way you approach stress and react to it, which may lead to decreased anxiety.
Similarly, you could also learn about professional acupressure treatments. Acupuncture uses strategically placed needles to control pain in the body, but acupressure applies firm pressure to strategic points, instead.
Oral muscle relaxants must be prescribed by a doctor, and you should only take them for short periods to avoid dependency. These medications relax your entire body’s immune response. They may make you drowsy, so you should take them before bedtime. OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) treatments are injected directly into the affected area and only relax the surrounding the jaw muscles. These treatments last for prolonged periods but are usually prescribed only as a last resort.
If medications are causing the problem, your doctor may prescribe a different medication to help eliminate the jaw clenching. While there are different types of medications that can cause jaw clenching, some of the most common culprits include antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). [7] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source Note that alcohol, smoking, and recreational drugs can also cause jaw clenching and should be eliminated.
