If you suffer from teeth grinding, you’re not alone. Approximately one in 12 adults grind their teeth at night. However, when your stress and anxiety are uncontrolled the numbers are likely to increase. That means that everyone’s risk goes up during a coronavirus pandemic, quarantine, and fears of catching a potentially life-threatening disease like Covid-19.
Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, can also be caused by sleep disorders, an abnormal bite, or missing or crooked teeth. But to avoid teeth grinding, no matter the cause, you can use some of these surprising home remedies (but if your teeth grinding is severe, you should visit a dental office right away):
1. Hot towel
Warming up might be a good option for relieving teeth grinding. This way is best done using a heating pad. While lying down, rest one side of your face on a heating pad for 15 minutes, and repeat on the other side. The heat boosts the local blood supply, improves blood circulation, and helps relax the muscles.
2. Stress management
Stress is the main reason for teeth grinding, therefore it’s best to start with managing your stress levels as soon as possible. You might also have tightening muscles in the neck, jaws, or upper back. These all tighten because you are stressed and can make sleeping less restful.
Stress management remedies in conjunction with other therapies to boost tissue relaxation and reduce muscle spasm, can be one of the best ways to reduce teeth grinding.
3. Epsom salt baths
Epsom salts possess incredible benefits which make them very much distinct from plain old table salt. Epsom salts contain detoxing elements that help eliminate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
This compound of magnesium and sulfate is also popular for softening and exfoliating skin, drawing out impurities, and even relieving cold or flu symptoms. This will help improve your magnesium intake. Also, absorption through the skin will bind with serotonin in the brain, helping you to relax and lower stress.
Epsom salt baths are another good way to soothe muscles and lower tension. Relieving any aches and cramps will make you rest better over the course of the night.
4. Bite guard
A bite splint to wear overnight can lower grinding and help you avoid damage to teeth. When done at the dentist’s office, your dentist takes impressions of your teeth and a bite guard is made to fit perfectly. You can also opt for a do-it-yourself option if you’re looking to save money. To make your own, purchase a high-quality dental sports guard.
5. Turmeric milk
You probably have heard that consuming a glass of milk before bedtime is good for your health. Mixing turmeric with milk is even better. This holy grail of mixtures can help control teeth grinding with its dual-purpose. The amino acid tryptophan in milk helps your nervous system relax and sleep soundly.
Turmeric acts as a pain reliever to lower jaw pain and headaches. Poor sleep has shown to increase symptoms of temporomandibular disorders. When we do not cycle through our complete sleep cycle, it has shown that we process pain differently. Things such as caffeine, stress, alcohol, and late-night electronic devices affect our ability to have our REM sleep cycle, but natural supplements can help us get back on cycle.
6.Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that plays a big role in heart health. This helpful alkaline is also integral to the relaxation of muscle tissue and blood vessels.
Oftentimes, teeth grinding is due to tight or spasming jaw muscles. The relaxing effects of magnesium either applied topically or taking magnesium supplements can prove beneficial.
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