Tips For Treating Bruxism Effectively

Adjust Jaw Positioning

While stress and life situations might lead an individual to grind their teeth, it could also be caused by the position of their jaw. The jaw and its muscles want to be in a correct, comfortable position. When this does not happen, the jaw moves back and forth to try and find a comfortable spot, leading to the teeth grinding back and forth. Therefore, patients might need to have to adjust their jaw positioning, which can be done in several ways. Using a specially designed nightguard can help realign the jaw while a patient is sleeping. This will allow the jaw to relax and help reduce discomfort. Another procedure is an occlusal adjustment, which involves the dentist finding which parts of the patient's bite are not making proper contact by using colored paper. They will grind down or remove parts of the tooth causing the problem until the patient's teeth sit comfortably together when they are clenched. This will help reduce the jaw moving back and forth to find a comfortable position.