How to Stop Teeth Clenching at Night

If there have noticed that you have headaches that won’t go away and you have a sore jaw or tired facial muscles that are very painful throughout that day? That means that most likely you are cleaning your teeth at night. In most cases, that is a result of stress and it is very common when sleeping. But that can cause a lot of issues down the road such as dental issues, chipping teeth or TMJ. So, if you are experiencing morning headaches, neck pain, sensitive or loose teeth as well as sore jaw and face muscles, you might be clenching your teeth at night. 

Ways Of Stopping Teeth Clenching

Clenching your teeth can happen because of a lot of things, but there are some things that you can do to help minimise it. While there are different ways of helping this issue, treatments will vary from person to person. 

Reduce Stress Your Stress Levels

In most cases, stress is the leading cause of teeth clenching and grinding both during night and day. Make sure that you are taking care of your teeth as well as your mental health by trying some tricks of reducing your stress levels such as:


Try to think positive, practice letting go of negative thoughts that you have throughout the day. Take five minutes before bed to write down your feelings that are causing you to have anxiety. Writing down your feelings will help get rid of the stress. 

Practice being mindful. Being aware of your tension as you are drifting into sleep, will just make it harder for you to relax. That is why you should try relaxing and being aware of your body and trying to loosen the muscles. 

Wear a Mouthguard

If you are not seeing any results or you just can’t shake off the stress, a great way to stop clenching your teeth or just protect them is by getting a mouth guard for sleeping. But while it is great to have something that will protect your teeth and jaw when you are sleeping, it will not eliminate you from having bruxism. There are two different routes that you can take, you can get an over the counter mouthguard or you can get a custom made one from your orthodontist. Having a custom made one is better as it will be made for your needs, but they will be more expensive than ones that you can buy at a store. 

Correct Any Misaligned Teeth

But sometimes, teeth clenching will happen because there is a problem with teeth alignment. Contacting your orthodontist, you will be able to find a solution to our issues. But if you have worn down your teeth to the point where you will have issues with chewing, your dentist might recommend reconstructive treatments, which will also help with clenching your teeth at night. 

Avoid Drinking Caffeine and Alcohol Before Bed

What a lot of people don’t think about is that consuming substances that have a large amount of caffeine before bed will have negative effects on your sleep and one of those things is clenching your teeth. Another thing that you shouldn’t drink before bed is alcohol, as it can cause nightcaps. 

Get Botox

There have been multiple studies that have shown that those who got injections of botulinum toxin and botox have reduced both the pain and the frequency of clenching and grinding their teeth. If this is something that you are considering, make sure that you are consulting with both your dentist and doctor to figure out if this treatment can work for you. When it comes to the procedure, it is a simple one. A medical professional will inject you with a small amount of botox into the large muscle that will move your jaw. Keep in mind that Botox injections will not cure bruxism, but they can help with the pain. Something like that will help alleviate headaches related to teeth grinding and clenching. In most cases, the benefits of this will last up to four months. 

Do Tongue and Jaw Muscle Exercises

Another simple thing that you can do that will help with it is doing jaw and tongue muscle exercises. This will help relax the muscles and keep them aligned with your jaw. These are exercises that you can do at home on your own. The simplest way to do them is to open your mouth wide and touch your tongue to your front teeth. You can also try to gently massage your jaw to loosen up the jaw. 

If you are aware that you are clenching and grinding your teeth or you are suspecting it because you are experiencing pain, make sure that you are seeking professional help. Getting a professional opinion will save your teeth and jaw from suffering. 


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