Bruxism - How to Stop Grinding Teeth and Clenching Jaw

Do You Clench Your Jaw and Grind Your Teeth?

Bruxism is a dental problem characterized by grinding the teeth and clenching of the jaw. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching often occur during sleep although some people clench their jaws during the day. Many people grind their teeth at night and are completely unaware but have side effects like headaches, an aching jaw, and even cracked and sensitive teeth. Bruxism can start in childhood and continue throughout a person's life.

If you don't learn to stop grinding teeth then you could end up in a financial bind. Insurance companies may refuse certain dental procedures like crowns if Bruxism is the cause.  Dental insurance should focus on fixing teeth instead of finding reasons not to pay. Why are our teeth viewed separately?  Dental health is imperative to overall health but we have a horrible dental health system.

Things You Will Need:

• Mouth guard
• Dentist or medical doctor
• Relaxation techniques

Step 1 - Do You Grind Your Teeth

Yes. You wake up with a tired, sore jaw, headache, and have sensitive teeth. Someone told you that you grind your teeth at night. Some people grind their teeth so loudly it can be heard across a room. Listening to someone clench their jaw and grind their teeth is worse than someone snoring. Signs of teeth grinding include cuts on the cheek and tongue from chewing at night, worn down areas on the teeth, sore jaw muscles and/or face pain, headaches, and ear pain.

The signs of your grinding can be helpful in your prevention. If you often wake up with marks inside your cheek on the left side it is likely you are clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth while asleep. The solution may be changing the way you sleep (new pillow).

Step 2 - Ask a Dentist How to Stop Grinding Teeth

See a doctor or dentist to stop grinding teeth. Depending on your financial situation and insurance coverage it may be hard to see a dentist. You need your overall oral health checked. Look for lose or chipped teeth.  Bruxism damages stable teeth and can impair alignment of your teeth.  Sometimes misaligned teeth can cause people to clench or grind. Follow the dental treatment plan.

Tell a doctor if muscle tension is a problem. Massage the jaw muscles to relieve tension. Ask your doctor about trigger points.  Some people have an ongoing problem with muscle spasms and may need medication. 

Step 3 - Reduce Stress

Implement stress reduction activities into your life. Although teeth grinding is usually unconscious it is associated with stress, especially true of people who clench their jaws. Seek counseling or therapy if you have anxiety, depression, or trouble managing stress.  Counseling just might be the key to help you quit grinding your teeth when you sleep.   Stress relief and learning to cope with unresolved baggage helps the body heal and recover faster. 

Some people try medications such as muscle relaxers. Try herbal supplements, calming teas, aromatherapy, or a hot bath with candles. Experiment. Figure out what works for you.

Step 4 - Get a Mouth Guard (Molded by the Dentist if possible)

There are several types of mouth guards. If you can get your dentist to make one this is the best option because he or she can take a mold of your teeth. A guard that fits your upper teeth is best and will stop your back teeth from touching without making your mouth feel too overcrowded. Many people use sports mouth guards but these are usually too big and also hard to mold. The right mouth guard prevents you from grinding your teeth.

Step 5 - Avoid Stimulants

Stimulants include coffee, soda, tea, chocolate, food/drink containing caffeine, cigarettes, and harder chemicals like methamphetamine or cocaine. Prescription medications can also cause Bruxism and dry mouth. Pay attention to your body. Do you feel anxious after eating certain foods?  What about what you drink? It is hard to stop grinding your teeth because it is an unconscious act.  Self-care behavior should help, but if not then return to the dentist or doctor to rule out underlying medical conditions.

General health is very important. Eat a healthy balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids, get rest and use stress management tools in your life.

Step 6 - Keep a Journal

Documenting your experience in a journal helps identify patterns. When you catch yourself clenching your jaw during the day write it down. Write down the thought that started it and what you felt. Uncover the emotion that triggers daytime teeth grinding and clenching. Anger and anxiety are big causes.

Grinding can wear teeth down until they crack and break.  Once a tooth cracks it is a matter of time before it becomes a dental emergency.  If you are being treated for frequent headaches, migraines, or other ongoing pain conditions make sure to let the doctor know that grinding your teeth or clenching the jaw is an issue.

Check for medication interactions before starting a new prescription or using herbal supplements.

How Can I Stop Smoking Crystal Meth - Quit Seeing Tina

Volunteer to Stay Clean

Volunteer. Do some work with other people. Reaching out and working with others is one of the most important parts of staying clean after quitting crystal meth. Think about it. Who else can help other tweakers or former meth users the way you help each other. Most doctors do not understand what it is like to have psychosis and other meth induced problems. It is hell. Volunteering is so important to stay clean. Volunteer work is very rewarding and can be incorporated into your life. There are so many ways that you can give back to the world and make a positive difference.

Find something you like doing that makes you feel good (except dope, of course). A lot of meth users threw their ethics out the window at times, so doing things to rebuild yourself is a good thing. Try something new or pick up a hobby that you dropped when you picked up the pipe. The more things you find to replace the time you spent getting high, the better your chance of staying clean. You will need to build social networks to replace using friends, plugs, hooks, dealers, and drug networks. Some people like going to support groups like Crystal Meth Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, or others. There are online support groups and non-12 step support groups which can be extremely helpful.

Talk back to the voices in your head yelling "it wasn't that bad". You will need to give recovery a little bit of time.  Consider the length of time you used drugs and how that became your normal.  Now you have to adapt to another new normal.  Try at least 3 months before you decide to use crystal meth and other drugs. People expect you to get better once the drug is out of your life. Addiction recovery is about more than just stopping drug use.  Some addicts need a lot more time to recover than anyone realizes. Find a place where you can breathe.

If you're having a hard time stopping crystal on your own (or other drugs/alcohol) then go to rehab for as long as possible. Give yourself time to detox from drugs and start to  readjust to feeling sober and dealing with cravings. Some people experience severe withdrawal symptoms when they quit using methamphetamines.  If you are are going to quit on your own or are helping someone go through the detox process then stock up on high protein, healthy food, and water.  Make sure to have a comfortable place to sleep.  Detox can last a few days so don't rush things.

Can I Stay Clean after I Stop Smoking Meth - Quit Seeing Tina

Go to your doctor. You should have a check up if you have been using meth, heroin, cocaine, alcohol, prescription drugs or a combination thereof. People who are abusing drugs tend to re-prioritize very important things, like eating a balanced diet or getting quality sleep.

It is important to consider inpatient rehab if someone cannot stay clean after stop using crystal methamphetamine. Life on crystal meth can be extremely miserable and dangerous, depending on the person. Help is available. If you are not sure that crystal meth is a problem then check out the crystal meth denial information. It may help.

Crystal Methamphetamine Recovery - I Quit Smoking Meth

Crystal Meth Recovery

Crystal methamphetamine addiction has been described as an epidemic. The problem with drug addiction is that it is often misunderstood or adequately treated. Persons using or recovering from drugs are oftentimes heavily stigmatized because of their use. Crystal methamphetamine is also called meth, ice, tweak, shards, glass, poor man's cocaine, g, and speed. Whatever it is called, remember, it does not define you, and you are an important person regardless of what has happened because of using.

Every person who decides to get clean will have a different recovery path ahead of them. People who have used crystal can face different issues than those who used other substances. It is important to cease the using and then to start then long process of rehabilitating the person who was using meth. The following steps will be helpful to anyone who is trying to stay clean after quitting crystal methamphetamine. While using crystal meth it is hard to pay attention to basic needs like sleep or healthy eating. The medical community is beginning to study meth's effect on the brain. For example, it has been shown that meth's effect on memory is considerable, and that can make it hard to stop. Knowing these things is helpful.

Ways to Stay Clean after Quitting Crystal

Change as many of your old habits as you can. This means staying away from people who are getting high on meth or other drugs. A lot of people who have only been addicted to crystal meth without having a problem with alcohol at the same time, end up drinking. Consider for yourself whether drinking alcohol is a good decision for you. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and decreases decision making abilities. When inhibitions are lowered the liklihood of relapse increases. Weigh whether drinking a beer is worth a relapse into meth use. It is a good idea to stay away from the liquor and even non-alcoholic beverages because they can trigger parts of the brain to start cravings. Holidays can be hard, but there are ways to have sober holiday events.

Use clean and sober housing to stay clean after quitting crystal methamphetamine. If you are able to find clean and sober housing or a halfway house with a zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs then this can be very helpful. Living in a structured environment offers boundaries. Anything you can do that will make it harder for you to get high, but is also supportive is very empowering and can help you stay clean off crystal. Some counselors will say to change "people, places, and things" or that you don't have to change anything except for everything.

Healthy Sleeping Patterns in Addiction Recovery - Crystal Meth

Addiction Recovery and Sleep Hygiene

Using alcohol and drugs takes a severe toll on the ability to get quality, refreshing sleep. In recovery, it is vital to get enough sleep.  Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This will help reset your body's clock. Crystal meth use interrupts the sleep cycle and causes problems because of sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep can lead to out of whack hormones, weight gain, depression, irritability and a whole lot of other emotional and health problems. Paying attention to your sleep health is very important because it is like a domino onto everything else. If you cannot sleep then seek advice from a doctor about how to fall asleep.

Get help for medical conditions that affect sleep.  If you snore a lot and do not feel refreshed in the morning consider seeing a sleep doctor for possible Sleep Apnea.  Sleep Apnea means that breathing stops during certain sleep cycles and because the body is trained not to die, it brings the body out of a deep sleep, but this also causes its own problems over time like fatigue, memory problems, and daytime sleepiness.  Restless leg syndrome is another medical condition that affects sleep patterns.  Also, pay attention to your weight.  Putting on weight leads to increased blood pressure and poorer sleep.

It is important to understand you are not going back to "normal" overnight. Crystal meth has a very devastating impact on the brain. There have been studies that show that memory is intensified by crystal meth. What this means to you is that it makes it easy to daydream or fantasize about when it was good, and then those feelings to return to use are stronger because crystal meth has damaged certain centers in the brain. Using meth changes the way your brain works. Some of these changes will take weeks to months to years to heal. Educating yourself about addiction as a brain disease.

Will I Hear Voices and Hallucinate When I Quit Crystal Meth

Hallucinations and Voices after Quitting Crystal Meth

Many crystal meth users will continue to hear voices and have hallucinations long after they quit using. It is very common although rarely talked about.  In fact, many doctors dismiss the fact such hightened paranoia, voices, hallucinations, etc. continues after prolonged abstinence. They are slowly learning it is true. The medical literature is not up to date with current experiences of recent crystal meth users. Make sure to be assertive with the doctor when you go.

If you have stopped using crystal meth you may experience paranoia, high anxiety, depression, and sometimes a continuation of auditory and visual hallucinations. Go to the doctor if you are still having hallucinations. If you cannot do that then talk to someone about it because it feels pretty crazy.  Sometimes medication may be necessary to aid the person in quitting the voices.  Crystal meth use can lead to psychosis, a scary break with reality where the user does not realize that their world is made up in their head.  Once a person experiences a psychotic break it is much more likely that it will happen again.  These people are at a higher risk to hear voices, experience visual hallucinations, and auditory hallucinations especially around white noise like bathroom fans, noise fans, etc.  Background noise can also be a problem.

Don't be afraid to talk about this experience if you have it.  Over time it becomes manageable.