It’s that dreadful time of year again—tax season. And with taxes comes extreme amounts of stress and headaches. However, did you know that the stress of doing your taxes can also take a toll on your jaw? When a person is stressed they can often experience abnormal jaw pressure and they can even grind their teeth. Whether you suffer from bruxism or TMD, it is important to combat your stress this tax season before it takes a toll on your health.
Understanding Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
Grinding is typically caused by stress and anxiety, but it often occurs during sleep and is more likely caused by an abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth. It can even be caused by a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. In some cases, chronic teeth grinding can result in a fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth. The chronic grinding may wear teeth down to stumps. Not only can severe grinding damage teeth and result in tooth loss, it can also affect your jaws, cause or worsen TMD, and even change the appearance of your face.
How Do I Stop?
Your dentist can fit you with an oral appliance or mouth guard to protect your teeth from grinding during sleep. If stress is causing you to grind your teeth, ask your dentist about options to help reduce your stress. Attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist, or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are among some of the options that may be offered.
If the stress of tax season is getting you down and you find that you might be grinding your teeth, contact us at Craniofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Center of Georgia for more information.
