How To Stop Clenching Jaw: Home Remedies & Professional Treatments!

Are you one of those people that clenches their jaw without realizing it? If so, you’re not alone. Many people find themselves clenching their jaws for a number of reasons, including stress, anxiety, and frustration. While this habit may seem harmless, it can lead to serious health problems.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the causes of jaw clenching and its potential health risks. We’ll also provide some tips for how to break the habit and relax your jaw muscles. So read on to learn more!

What Is Jaw Clenching?

Do you ever find yourself clenching your jaw for no reason? It’s not just annoying, and it can also damage your teeth and jaw.

Clenching your jaw can lead to pain, tightness, and facial disorders like TMJ or TMD.

So what can you do to stop this from happening? It might help to try and identify the cause of your clenching. Are you stressed out? Bored? Angry? Once you know what’s causing it, you can work on finding ways to deal with those feelings more healthily. You might also want to try clenching and releasing your jaw a few times throughout the day to help relieve any tension that’s built up.

Causes of Jaw Clenching

Many different factors can contribute to jaw clenching.

Some of the most common causes include:

1. Stress and Anxiety

When you’re feeling stressed or anxious, your body may tense up in various ways, including clenching your jaw. This is a natural response designed to help you cope with difficult situations.

2. Frustration

Frustration can also lead to jaw clenching, especially if you feel like you’re powerless to do anything about the situation you’re in.

3. Teeth Grinding

Many people who clench their jaws also grind their teeth together involuntarily.

This can cause significant wear and tear on your teeth over time and lead to other health problems.

Health Risks of Jaw Clenching

Clenching your jaw can cause a variety of health problems, including:

1. Headaches

Jaw clenching can lead to tension headaches due to the muscle tension in your head and neck. These headaches can be quite painful and may persist even after the cause of the clenching has been eliminated.

2. TMJ Syndrome

TMJ syndrome is a condition that occurs when the temporomandibular joint (the joint that connects your jawbone to your skull) becomes inflamed or misaligned. Symptoms of TMJ syndrome include pain in the jaw muscles, headaches, ringing in the ears, and dizziness.

3. Damage to Teeth

As mentioned earlier, teeth grinding can cause significant damage to your teeth over time. This damage may be irreversible and can require extensive dental work to repair.

How To Stop Jaw Clenching with home remedies

When it comes to jaw clenching, most people think of bruxism – a condition where you grind your teeth unconsciously. However, clenching your jaw can also signify stress or anxiety. And if it’s left untreated, it can lead to tension headaches, tooth pain, and even neck pain.

So how can you stop clenching your jaw? Here are a few home remedies that might help:

1. Massage

Massage your temples. This is a great way to relieve tension in your head and neck. It can easily stop your jaws from clenching during the day, and it is an excellent way to reduce your pain from clenching.

2. Cold compress

Apply a cold compress to your forehead. This will help reduce the inflammation and pain you may experience from this habit.

3. Breathing exercises

Take some deep breaths and relax your body. When stressed, your body tends to tense up, leading to jaw clenching. So take a few minutes to relax and de-stress.

4. Mouth guard

Try using a mouth guard or splint at night. If you tend to clench your jaw while you sleep, a mouth guard can help prevent this.

5. Meditation

Practice some relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation. These can help you learn how to control your stress levels and avoid clenching your jaw when sleeping.

6. Improve your posture

Practice good posture. Keeping your head and shoulders in alignment will help reduce muscle tension in your jaw.

7. Don’t chew gum

Avoid chewing gum. Chewing gum can worsen jaw clenching by increasing muscle activity in the jaw during the day.

8. Eat soft foods

Hard or crunchy foods can cause irritation and pain in the jaw, so stick to more peaceful options like soups and mashed potatoes.

If you find that none of these home remedies are helping, then it’s time to see a doctor or dentist. They can help you find the underlying cause of your jaw clenching and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.

Professional treatment for jaw clenching

If you’re experiencing jaw clenching, your first port of call should be a visit to the dentist. They can assess any damage to your teeth and determine if it’s led to issues like TMJ or TMD. They’ll also fix any damaged teeth you may have. The dentist may even recommend botox injections to relax your jaw muscles if the problem is severe enough.

If the dentist determines that your jaw clenching is stress-related, they may refer you to a GP for other issues outside their scope. Your GP can better understand whether your jaw clenching is impacting your mental health and potentially refer you to a therapist. They might also recommend a relaxation therapist to teach you how to voluntarily relax your jaw muscles and a sleep specialist to improve your sleep hygiene.

Treatment for jaw clenching often includes:

1. Mouth guards or splints

Wearing a mouth guard or splint at night can help prevent teeth grinding.

2. Botox injections

Injecting Botox into the jaw muscles can help relax them and reduce clenching, especially at night.

Are there side effects of botox treatment?

Botox injections’ most common side effects for jaw clenching are temporary and include pain, swelling, bruising, and headache. More serious side effects, such as difficulty swallowing or muscle weakness, may occur in rare cases. If you experience severe side effects after receiving a botox injection, seek medical attention immediately.

If you think you may be clenching your jaw, don’t wait to get help. Talk to your doctor or dentist about the best treatment options for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of magnesium for jaw clenching?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the type of magnesium most effective for jaw clenching may vary depending on the individual. However, some research suggests that magnesium citrate may help reduce the frequency and severity of jaw clenching.

How much magnesium should you take?

The dosage of magnesium varies depending on the individual, so it’s best to speak with a doctor or pharmacist before starting any magnesium supplement.

How can I relax my jaw muscles?

There are a number of ways to relax your jaw muscles, including massage, relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, and splinting or mouth guards.

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