It is not normal to “grind” your teeth together. Period. Several spouses complain to me that their partner grinds his/her teeth while sleeping, but they deny it. Grinding (formal term is “bruxism”) is usually blamed on stress, but that is hard to measure.
Initially, it is wise to make 2-3 dietary adjustments that include eliminating caffeine from your diet. People recognize that this is in sodas and coffee, but few realize that chocolate also contains caffeine. Similarly, research demonstrates that alcohol also intensifies grinding. Medications used to treat sleep disorders or ADHD also have tooth grinding as a typical side effect.
Chewing gum is also cited as a contributor to tooth grinding because it encourages your jaw muscles to strengthen, which makes people tend toward grinding.
If you catch yourself grinding your teeth or, more likely, clenching your teeth during the daytime, there is an exercise that trains these muscles to relax. Simply position the tip of the tongue between the front teeth on your top and bottom jaw, which causes your tongue to relax.
Contact Winterset Dental to schedule your appointment.