There are a couple different conditions that may leave you with a tired feeling jaw – bruxism and TMJ disorder. Bruxism is a condition in which you clench your jaw and grind your teeth. Grinding your teeth can damage your tooth enamel and, in extremely severe cases, can even chip or break your teeth. Often times, patients will grind their teeth throughout the night while they’re asleep. For this reason, bruxism can be difficult to diagnose unless you sleep in the room with someone else. Do you have a sore jaw? This is one of the most common symptoms that indicates you may be grinding your teeth.
How Do You Treat Bruxism?
Usually, teeth grinding is caused from a temporary emotion or situation. If you’ve noticed your child is grinding their teeth, don’t be too concerned. Most children will grow out of bruxism without needing further treatment. However, in adults, the circumstances are a little different. Your dentist may recommend wearing a night guard to protect your teeth from any damage until you’re able to treat the underlying cause of your teeth grinding.
Stress and anger are two emotions that often cause patients to clench their jaws or grind their teeth. If this is the reason behind your new habit, your dentist may recommend stress or anger relief therapies to help you cope with these feelings.
In other cases, you could be grinding your teeth because of a misaligned bite. A misaligned bite can also cause a multitude of different dental complications, unfortunately. You may need braces or other orthodontic treatment to help correct your bite.
Have you been waking with a sore and tired feeling jaw? Consult with your dentist to ensure that your mouth is at its optimal health!
