Bruxism, the origin of many ailments

It is possible that after reading this article, you will realize that many of your ailments may come from a relatively unknown phenomenon: bruxism.

What is bruxism?

Most people don't realize it, because for most of you, you do it while you sleep. Bruxism is a very real condition. It's a fairly simple gesture: it's the act of clenching your teeth, outside of a situation where the teeth are normally in contact, such as swallowing or chewing.

We are not going to talk about teeth whitening in this article, if this is the topic that interests you, read our full article on teeth whitening

Bruxism affects both men and women, and a significant portion of the population. It affects approximately 14% of children, 10 to 12% of adolescents, and approximately 8% of adults. The prevalence of bruxism decreases with age.

How do you know if you suffer from bruxism?

Bruxism is an involuntary, intense, and repeated movement over time, caused by stress or frustration and affecting women in 80 to 90% of cases, mainly for hormonal reasons. In most cases, people who suffer from this condition wake up every morning very tired, with a painful jaw, to say the least. When our jaw is contracted, the pressure on it can reach up to 200 kilos! Clenching our teeth is therefore very exhausting for our body.
Bruxism is a relatively unknown and overlooked phenomenon. It is different from teeth grinding and has numerous health repercussions, potentially leading to numerous pathologies. Migraines, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, neck pain, and back pain can all be directly caused by bruxism.

Bruxism in very young children usually disappears with the appearance of permanent teeth. It is suggested to relax the child with a story, soft music, a brief massage, and to encourage calmness. In some cases, a mouth guard may be suggested.
Clenching your teeth or having poor dental alignment can send messages throughout the body that can trigger painful conditions. This explains why bruxism is the cause of many ailments.

What are the symptoms of bruxism?

  • Neck pain, intense fatigue
  • Toothache psychological cause
  • Bruxism and stress
  • Bruxism and dental migraine
  • Clenching teeth while sleeping
  • Jaw contracts

How to get rid of bruxism?

With fairly simple gestures, bruxism can be easily cured. During the day, to avoid clenching your teeth, simply purse your lips. You can also place the tip of your tongue between your teeth, for those who would like to be more discreet.


To address nighttime bruxism, your dentist may administer anesthetic injections to your jaw to relax it and prevent it from tensing. Wearing a dental splint may also be recommended: the thickness of the splint triggers a jaw-opening reflex.
Since this is a psychological problem, relaxation techniques such as sophrology, for example, are also an area worth exploring, and behavioral principles must be adopted. If the problem is treated seriously, results will be seen within the first few days, and it can be cured within a few weeks. But know that there will always be a solution to cure bruxism.

bruxism

How to relax your jaw?

Bruxism causes jaw problems. A tense jaw tires the human body. The solution to bruxism is to relax your jaw rather than tense it. To relax your jaw, you must:

  • Chin Massage : Make a circular massage with your fingertips, pressing along the entire length of your jaw. From the jaw to the earlobes. Repeat this exercise 3-4 times.

  • Massaging your ears : Place your index fingers on the cartilage and massage this area from top to bottom for one minute. Massage with your mouth closed for 30 seconds and with your mouth open for the last 30 seconds. This will release tension, helping to relax your jaw.

  • Loosen your jaw by doing exercises: like moving your lower jaw from left to right and vice versa. And doing it back and forth, moving your jaw forward and back. Do these two exercises about ten times. Remember to yawn at the end of the exercise, even if you don't feel like it, do the movement as if you were.

  • Saying OU-AH : Repeating the vowels slowly will help relax your jaw. Don't hesitate to exaggerate your articulation and make grimaces.

Jaw massage is essential for relaxing your jaw and treating bruxism. It's a method you can do yourself. Self-massage can be performed whenever you need it and as often as necessary. In addition to jaw massage, you can also opt for warm compresses, which will increase blood circulation in the mouth, helping to relax your jaw.

Childhood bruxism

Your child may have bruxism. They'll tend to grind their lower teeth against their upper teeth while clenching their jaw, creating a rather impressive noise. Childhood bruxism tends to decrease or even disappear as they grow older. It rarely occurs during adolescence, but it can return as adults due to stress or anxiety.

If you liked this article about teething, you can expand your knowledge by reading this article about teeth in general, as well as this one about baby teeth . After that, you'll be a teething expert!

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