Treatments for Teeth Grinding: Night Guards and Beyond

In our stress-filled world, teeth grinding has become all too common. Its prevalence has been on the rise, causing many to seek out ways to decrease or stop their grinding and its negative effects. We’ll go over some of the new solutions that are currently available for teeth grinding.

One of the most well known and frequently recommended treatments for teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a night guard. This helps to not only protect the actual surfaces of your teeth, but also acts as a cushion to absorb the clenching force of your jaw muscles to take some of the tension off of your jaw joint. Since the fit and quality is very important for the effectiveness of your night guard, it’s essential to read night guard reviews to make sure that the night guard you’re getting will do its job properly.

A newer method for treating bruxism is Botox. Though it has typically been used for cosmetic purposes, it’s now finding a new purpose as a treatment for teeth grinding. Botox is a neurotoxin that causes paralysis of the muscles that it’s injected into. This may sound alarming, but Botox has been widely studied and researched to assure it’s safety. In the case of bruxism, it is used to weaken the activation of the jaw muscles (typically the masseter and temporalis muscles), thereby lessening their ability to grind and clench the teeth.

Another interesting treatment method for teeth grinding is acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles as specific points to stimulate nerves and muscles. Though there has been little research done, with more and more anecdotal evidence coming to light, it’s likely that more scientific studies will be done to further examine its efficacy. 

Teeth grinding is an issue that is affecting more and more people, and as a result, new treatment methods are being tested and investigated. Not every treatment method When exploring new treatment methods, it is always important to consider the research and to determine what is best for you based on your personal needs.