Jaw Pain from Grinding Teeth [What You Need To Know]

April 17, 2023

Jaw Pain from Grinding Teeth

Do you find yourself constantly waking up with jaw pain? Are you struggling to function due to the discomfort caused by teeth grinding? You are not alone in experiencing these symptoms. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder (TMJD) affect an estimated 5% to 12% of the population.

Causes of Jaw Pain from Grinding Teeth

While some cases of TMJ disorders can be attributed to injury or trauma to the temporomandibular joint, the root causes of most jaw joint and muscle problems remain largely unknown to scientists. Teeth grinding, or bruxism can be a challenging habit to break, leading to weakened and chipped teeth, ear aches, and a host of related health problems.

Treatments For Grinding and Clenching Your Teeth

If you're struggling with the pain caused by teeth grinding, it's important to seek relief. In this post, we'll delve into effective strategies to alleviate jaw pain from teeth grinding, as well as offer practical tips to help you break the habit for good. With a range of tools and techniques available, you can find the relief you need to live your best life, free from the discomfort caused by bruxism.

1. Stress and Anxiety Management

One of the leading causes of Bruxism is anxiety and stress. Many people report grinding their teeth in stressful situations. However, this can then be carried on in your sleep as well. It is recommended that you take stress and anxiety management seriously and help ease those symptoms by going to therapy, meditation, etc.

2. Muscle Relaxants

If your sleep bruxism is too extreme, your doctor may suggest taking muscle relaxants right before going to bed for a certain amount of time. While uncommon, this is only for chronic cases of bruxism teeth grinding. The muscle relaxants help your jaw muscles moderate themselves so that you don’t grind your teeth in your sleep. This offers short-term protection to your teeth since the muscle relaxants are typically only a band-aid solution.

3. Get Checked for Sleep-Related Disorders

Often signs of bruxism can also be a sign of other sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea. Therefore, it’s best to make sure that you don’t have any other sleep-related issues or disorders. If you do suffer from sleep disorders, medications for the same can help ease bruxism symptoms as well. However, medication oftentimes comes with a variety of side effects while only treating the surface of the condition.

4. Warm Compress

To ease the jaw pain, take a warm compress and lay down. Hold the compress on your jaw over the area of the pain and press it against your face for about 15 minutes. Doing this will increase the blood circulation in the said area and help alleviate the pain.

6. Getting a Night Guard

Some doctors refer to this type of treatment as splint therapy. This is often one of the first things that doctors turn to after diagnoses and for good reason. Splint therapy is when you wear either a custom-made night guard or an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep guard, bite guard, or an occlusal splint to help with teeth grinding. The night guard creates a barrier between your upper teeth and lower teeth and prevents you from grinding your teeth when you are asleep.

While there are one-size-fits-all options available OTC in drug stores, it is recommended that you get a custom-fitting night guard since the drug store mouthguards have a reputation for making jaw pain worse from teeth grinding and can cause long-term damage.

Finding an affordable mouth guard for nighttime teeth grinding...
Now, night guards purchased from your dentist are expensive when you get them from your dentist and not everyone can afford to buy one.

The good news is, ClearClub offers affordable night guards custom-made for less than a fraction of the price you would pay a dentist. Don't let bruxism or TMD control your daily life invest in an affordable night guard today and experience the relief that you deserve!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Jaw Pain

Can grinding teeth cause jaw pain?

Yes, grinding teeth, also known as bruxism, can cause jaw pain. The excessive clenching and grinding of the teeth can lead to inflammation and irritation of the temporomandibular joint. This can result in a significant amount of pain and discomfort in the jaw, face, and neck.

How to relieve jaw pain from grinding teeth?

There are several ways to relieve jaw pain from grinding teeth, including:

Stress and Anxiety Management
Taking over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation
Avoiding foods that require excessive chewing or opening the mouth wide
Wearing a custom-made mouthguard, splint or night guard to prevent teeth grinding

It's important to identify the underlying cause of teeth grinding and address it to prevent further jaw pain and dental damage.