Waking up tired? Are you grinding your teeth?

We all know that sleep is super important. Sleep helps our body recover, repair and it helps our brains and bodies perform to the best of their ability. When you’re lacking in sleep you can be irritable, less alert, have reduced memory and concentration and poor decision making skills.

Is teeth grinding keeping you awake?

It’s hard to know what you do while you’re asleep, however if you’re waking up tired and have the following signs or symptoms when you wake, you could be grinding your teeth at night.

• Sore jaw or stiffness. 
• Headaches.
• Ear pain.
• Aching teeth.
• Worn down, chipped or fractured teeth.
• Jaw clenching.
• Broken fillings
• TMD (Temporomandibular disorders) – locked jaw.
• Loose teeth.
• Sensitive teeth.
• Disrupted sleep.
• A jaw that clicks or pops.
• Your partner complains of noise while you’re sleeping.

How to treat teeth grinding

If you suspect you are grinding your teeth, it helps to understand the different causes. 

Some causes of bruxism include stress and anxiety, medical conditions (Parkinson’s disease, dementia, ADHD, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism, depression, fibromyalgia, OCD, night terrors), misaligned teeth, sleep disorders, excessive drugs/alcohol/caffeine consumption, when baby teeth come through. 

At The Practice in South Brisbane, our dentists have years of experience helping people stop teeth grinding. If you have serious teeth grinding problems we recommend booking an appointment at our West End dental clinic. 

We may take a few different approaches to help you stop teeth grinding, depending on your individual condition.

Some treatment we recommend at The Practice include: 

• Identifying the cause, so it can be removed (stress).
• Dental exercises.
• Muscle relaxants.
• Mouth guards and splints.
• Sleep apnoea treatment.

Our Brisbane dentists will also repair any damage caused by your bruxism, which could include replacing fillings or dental crowns. 

Book an appointment today and stop grinding your teeth

Stop waking up tired and in pain! With the right treatment and advice, our dentists can help you reduce or even eliminate teeth grinding so you can wake up refreshed and brighter than ever before!

At The Practice we’re passionate about helping our patients live their best lives, and that’s hard to do when you’re in pain and not getting enough sleep. 

Book an appointment online, or call our West End dental clinic on (07) 3733 3223 to speak to our friendly dental team.