Is that aching jaw in the morning a cause of concern for you?

There are a lot of reasons for a painful jaw. Usually, the most common reason for jaw pain is the grinding of teeth at night.

To know more about the morning jaw pain, read the upcoming section.

Bruxism (Teeth grinding)

Bruxism or teeth grinding is the most common cause of painful jaw. If the pain is only experienced in the morning after waking up, the reason is the grinding of teeth at night.

Bruxism is categorized as a parafunctional habit, i.e., when the body part is used for a task other than its normal function. Teeth grinding causes unnecessary stress on muscles of the jaw, resulting in pain.

When at rest, our teeth do not meet and a gap is present between them. Teeth make contact while you have food or when you clench them intentionally.

Causes of Bruxism

The most common reason for teeth grinding is anxiety and stress. It is reported that the body responses to stress by unconscious clenching of teeth, more frequent at night.

Prevention and Management

• Avoid caffeinated drinks and beverages in the late evenings and at night
• Take steps to reduce stress before bed for example get a warm shower or try reading a book of your interest
• Try reducing your screen time before bed
• Use dim lights at night
• Maintain a moderate temperature of your surroundings while you sleep

• Night Guards – as a step to minimize the loss of tooth structure due to grinding.

If the precautionary steps don’t work out and the heavy grinding persists, it results in:

• Loss of tooth structure
• Reduction in the vertical dimension of the teeth, which if continues can affect your facial appearance.

Therefore, night guards are recommended. These are made of plasticized material, are customized, and can be easily fabricated. Nightguards are usually made for upper teeth.

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