Waking up to constant headaches accompanied by sore jaws or sore teeth as though you were in a fight may be a sign that you are suffering from bruxism, the grinding and clenching of your teeth.
Bruxism is completely normal and harmless, but when it becomes a consistent recurrence, it can cause damage to your teeth and make room for other dental issues.
Bestmed Medical Scheme’s experts said grinding teeth when a person is awake or asleep could be attributed to stress and anxiety. Although it mostly happens when a person is asleep, it can also occur when one is awake.
Sleep and awake bruxism are different.
The symptoms of sleep bruxism include pain in the face, neck and jaw, stiffness in the jaw, clicking or popping sounds when you move your jaw, worn, broken, sensitive, or loose teeth or fillings.
Bruxism while awake is a subconscious habit and can happen involuntarily. In most cases, this happens when a person is feeling stressed or is concentrating. Instead of grinding your teeth, you clench your teeth and tense the muscle area around your jaw.
There are many contributing factors as to what causes the condition, including substance abuse, stress, and growing teeth in children. Secondary causes can be attributed to mental health conditions, medications and/or neurological conditions.
In terms of treatment, dentists recommend a mouth guard made of flexible rubber or plastic, or a mouth splint made of harder plastic that helps to keep the jaw in a relaxed position.
It’s also advisable to have regular dental check-ups.
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