Grinding Pearly Whites and Snoring
If you’ve checked out any jaw retaining mouthpieces, you’ve probably come across the word “bruxism.” There is a reason that this condition is sometimes mentioned when you’re looking for a snoring solution. What is the connection and what does it mean for you? I’ll tell you very soon.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the medical term for grinding your teeth. Normally if you grind your teeth it happens at night when you are sleeping. However, sometimes this can happen during the day as well.
Sometimes the grinding can even be heard by those around you. If anyone around you can actually hear you grinding your teeth then it is something you should look into. This is a serious problem, but most people don’t know exactly why.
This condition causes a number of symptoms that usually seem a bit mysterious at first. For example, if you wake up with jaw pain or facial pain then the first thing most people wonder is if something hit them in the middle of the night.
Bruxism can also cause you to wake up with a headache. Unfortunately, grinding your teeth can also damage the enamel, make your teeth more sensitive, and chip your teeth. If you have a serious case of bruxism it can ruin your teeth in a hurry.
How Common Is It?
Roughly 8 percent of the general population grinds their teeth on a regular basis. That means that you have about a 1 in 12 chance of having bruxism. There’s a catch though.
There is actually a connection between grinding your teeth and snoring. Sadly, fixing one will not prevent the other, or not necessarily anyway.
The Connection
One in twelve isn’t too much of a risk. However, if you snore then the chances that you grind your teeth are higher. If you have full blown sleep apnea then your chances are about 1 in 4.
These are actual figures that have been found through research. The good news is that you have some choices about what to do.
Solutions
If you talk to your doctor or dentist about bruxism, they will most likely recommend buying a mouthpiece to wear at night.
The nice thing is that quite a few jaw retaining snoring solutions can double as bruxism guards. Pretty much anything that fits over your teeth will help to cut down on bruxism. Some anti-snoring mouthpieces mention this as a benefit while others do not.
You can tell just by looking most of the time. More often than not a bruxism guard is just something that fits over your teeth anyway. Just use your common sense and you’ll do fine.
Snoring and bruxism are related, but one does not cause the other. The best thing about these two conditions running together is that an anti-snoring mouthpiece can usually take care of both.
If you snore and grind your teeth then a jaw retaining mouthpiece is probably your best option. One of these will protect your teeth and help to prevent snoring.
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