Diet, Sleep, And Lifestyle: How It Affects Bruxism
Teeth grinding and bruxism is often secondary issue caused by our lifestyles, diet, sleep, and overall health. This teeth-grinding disorder can flare up for several reasons, but the most common ones are stress, anxiety, joint disorder, and even depression.
Not just that, but once you’re affected by bruxism, there aren’t many treatments available to cure it properly. The most effective cure usually is to invest in a good dental guard that prevents tooth damage and added stress on the jaw.
There have been multiple studies on the aspects of a person’s life that might impact bruxism, but there haven’t been any meaningful conclusions. This is because bruxism happens subconsciously and due to pre-existing stress or disorders. Unless these issues aren’t resolved, your bruxism won’t go away.
In this guide, we’ll deep-dive into your lifestyle, diet, and sleep patterns to understand how it increases the effects of bruxism. So read on!
Effects Of Bruxism
Chipped Tooth
The constant grinding motion exerts pressure on your teeth and can weaken the enamel layer. Enamel is a thin layer on your tooth that protects the teeth from damage and decay. Once the enamel is destroyed, it can’t be brought back and will lead to more dental issues. Bruxism can slowly destroy the enamel and leave your teeth vulnerable to cavities and toothache. Commonly people with bruxism experience gradual deterioration of enamel, and the tooth is chipped at various points.
Headaches
If you’re continuously grinding your teeth, the tension in the dental nerves spreads to your head and neck area. This can lead to severe headaches, especially if you have severe bruxism. This means you’re always grinding your teeth, whether in your sleep or awake. As a result, your headaches will likely increase over time and lead to other head and neck-related issues. Another thing you should be wary of is migraines. Bruxism can induce migraines that can become chronic as time goes on.
Jaw Pain
According to studies, you can exert up to 250 pounds of force on your teeth if you have bruxism. This immense force puts a lot of strain on your jaw and can cause severe jaw pain. The worse thing is that this pain isn’t technically curable, and you’ll have to rely on painkillers for some relief. It can also lead to worn-out teeth and TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder).
Nerve Issues
Your jaw houses all the nerves connected to your teeth. Too much pressure on the teeth can also irritate the nerves. As a result, you might get teeth sensitivity, trouble chewing, and constant toothache. But that’s not all; these nerves can’t be repaired either, so your only option will be to disconnect the nerve from the tooth. But this weakens the teeth a lot and makes them susceptible to cavities and decay.
Role Of Diet
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is known to increase the effects of bruxism. Vitamin D deficiency increases stress and anxiety, which are linked to bruxism. You can combat this by getting plenty of sunlight and vitamin D supplements to manage your stress levels and help you feel energized. It might not reduce your bruxism but it will prevent it from escalating further.
Unhealthy Foods
You might now know this, but foods play an important role in regulating your mood. Since bruxism happens due to stress, anxiety, and depression, the food you eat can increase the intensity of your bruxism. Indulging in unhealthy, high-calorie foods might make you happier momentarily, but it adds to mental stress and depression. Eating too many unhealthy foods regularly can elevate your bruxism symptoms and make it harder to treat.
Hard And Chewy Foods
Foods that are hard to chew can add extra strain on your teeth. Combined with the strain from teeth grinding, it can elevate jaw pain and headaches. Not just that, but it’ll also increase your tooth’s sensitivity. So if you already struggle with bruxism, you should incorporate easy-to-chew and light foods into your diet to prevent flaring up the headaches and teeth sensitivity.
Role Of Lifestyle
Stressful Lifestyle
If you work a demanding job, bring your work home, and struggle to keep up with the housework, then you’re living a stressful lifestyle. This directly affects your bruxism because the more stressed out you are, the worse your symptoms get. It also means you’re constantly anxious, and any small inconvenience can trigger stress. As a result, you’ll start grinding your teeth even while you’re awake and increase the damage to your teeth, nerves, jaw, and neck muscles.
Untreated Health Issues
If you have any pre-existing health issues like muscle pain and migraine, adding bruxism to the mix will increase its intensity. Untreated health issues cause a lot of stress for you and might increase your anxiety. This means your bruxism will likely increase, and you might even end up with daytime bruxism. Not just that, but certain medications also mess up the sleep cycle and increase stress, anxiety, and bruxism.
Role Of Sleep Patterns
Improper Sleep
If you’re not getting at least 8 hours of sleep each day, this means that you’re sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation leads to more stress and anxiety and can increase your bruxism. Sleep deprivation combined with a stressful day will only add to your worries, and you won’t have the time to relax. This, in turn, will lead to a stressful sleep, and you’ll end up in a never-ending loop.
Disturbed Sleep
Even if you are getting 8 hours of sleep each day, it doesn’t mean it’s consistent. Bruxism itself causes lots of disturbances in your sleep, and you’ll find yourself waking up constantly, especially if you have severe bruxism. This will only add to your stress, so it’s important that you relax properly before bed and use a dental guard to minimize the effects of bruxism.
Probable Solutions
Since there isn’t a clear-cut solution to completely get rid of bruxism, the best you can do is try investing in a good night guard. Night guards are dental appliances that fit on your teeth. They’re usually made from plastic and offer to cushion against teeth grinding.
However, if you go for over-the-counter mouthguards, you won’t get any viable results. That’s because these night guards aren’t designed to match your dental profile and won’t offer adequate cushioning. They can also worsen your headaches and jaw pain due to poor fitting.
A better option would be custom dental guards made by trained dental technicians. These dental guards can be customized for upper or lower teeth and accommodate uneven dental profiles like crooked teeth.
Try Custom Dental Guards From Clear Comfort Night Guards
With a night guard, you can cushion the effects of bruxism and protect your teeth from any damage. They also help you get a full night’s sleep, so you’re less stressed, reducing your bruxism. Clear Comforts Night Guards is a dental lab located in Los Angeles that sells custom mouth guards for people dealing with Bruxism.
Our night guards are made according to your teeth, even if you have crooked or uneven teeth. Our trained dental technicians can create guards that fit your requirements. You get several options on our website, including soft, ultra-thin, hard, and ultra-hard night guards.
Besides that, we also sell sports mouthguards for people who play sports that might damage their jaw or teeth. All of the guards are made from durable materials. When you make a purchase, we send you an impression kit to create a unique mold of your teeth. Not just that, but we also offer fast shipping, easy returns, and a money-back guarantee. So hurry up, browse our collection, and order your custom dental guards today!
