Did you know that you might be making your bruxism disorder worse throughout the day, instead of better, even though you have the best of intentions? We like to talk with patients about their usual day-to-day habits when teeth grinding or clenching makes itself obvious because it’s easy to accidentally overlook common contributors. Fortunately, once you’re more fully aware of how to protect your smile, you can easily enjoy successful treatment for the return of your healthy smile.
Don’t Engage In Chewing Habits Voluntarily
As you know, your bruxism disorder includes the involuntary motions associated with chewing (grinding your teeth, as well as clenching them together). To help slow the unintentional habit down, it’s best to avoid overdoing the intentional chewing. Outside of eating food, we encourage you to avoid other unnecessary chewing (like constant snacking, chewing gum, etc.).
Don’t Skip Your Treatment For Any Reason
You might feel like your smile is doing much better, so you then decide to stop using your bruxism disorder treatment. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst choices you can make because you may find yourself right back where you started. Continue using treatment as we direct, every single day, so you can make the progress necessary for protecting your oral health.
Don’t Ignore Serious Stress
Don’t dismiss the fact that stress can greatly contribute to bruxism disorder. When you manage daily anxiety and tension, you tend to tighten up your muscles less frequently. This can make overcoming bruxism disorder a less challenging experience.