You can take simple steps to stop clenching your teeth and prevent damage to your gum tissue
and tooth enamel with the help of your dentist. Here’s how.

Step One: Visit Your Dentist

Although you may want to jump right into the lifestyle changes, take time to visit your dentist.
Your dentist is going to be your most valuable asset when it comes to curbing your teeth
clenching habit. Trying to fix the problem on your own is not going to be worth ruining your
teeth!

A dentist can assess the damage and provide some immediate help. A custom-made
mouthguard can help you protect your smile from further damage while you take active steps
to stop the problem. Although a mouthguard can help tremendously, it won’t stop your jaw
clenching habit on its own. It will, however, stop your teeth from taking the full impact of the
damage.

Your dentist can also evaluate your teeth for any alignment problems that could be contributing
to your jaw clenching. For this, your dentist may refer you to an orthodontist to properly
address the problem.

Step Two: Minimize Stress

Stress is often the primary cause of jaw clenching and teeth grinding. The good news is that you
can take steps to reduce your stress. Your dentist and primary care physician can help, but here
are a few good starting points:

 Exercise regularly. Exercising can help release tension and majorly cut down on stress.

 Take on less at work. If you’re logging in many hours and not getting enough rest, you
can take on less at work to better manage your stress and improve your health!

 Meditate. Meditation has been shown to help people manage stress, chronic pain, and
much more. Take a few minutes every day to simply pay attention to your breathing.

 Get professional help. Know when to seek professional help for your stress
management.

Doing whatever is necessary to minimize stress is so important, as stress has other unhealthy
effects on the body and is suspected to be the cause of many illnesses.

Step 3: Adjust Your Bedtime Routine

Getting enough rest isn’t only an excellent way to help manage your stress, it can also help stop
your jaw clenching, especially if you do it while you sleep and don’t realize it.

To help wind down before bed, stay off all electronics for at least one hour before you go to
sleep. You can also avoid caffeine, coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate. All of these substances act
as stimulants and can impact your quality of sleep to prevent you from getting the proper rest
you need. Alcohol is another beverage that can disrupt your sleep!

If you clench your jaw and are noticing headaches, sore neck, face, or jaw muscles, it’s time to
make an appointment with your dentist. These are all signs that your jaw clenching is impacting
your life and you need to get help before it gets worse. Call your dentist today to get help
stopping your jaw clenching once and for all!

The post Steps to Stop Clenching Your Teeth appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, often begins with bacteria that cause inflammation to your gums. The symptoms include pain, swelling, bleeding and receding gums, and eventually, tooth loss. Amazingly, a study conducted by the Journal of Dentistry shows that people who take part in regular exercise as well as don’t smoke were over 50% less likely than people who don’t exercise regularly to have gum disease.

The more active you are, the better! Even exercising a few times a week can reduce your risk of gum disease, and people who exercise less than that even reduce their risk by over 30%. Being physically active at least three times a week could mean cutting your risk of gum disease by half!

Healthy Weight, Healthy Smile

Further studies suggest that keeping your body at a healthy weight could also reduce your risk for periodontal disease. This means keeping your BMI (body mass index) in the low index range, meaning having a lower percentage of body fat as well as keeping fit. This could also be because those who care about exercising and their health take better care of their teeth. Not smoking, eating healthy, and regular dental checkups can maintain great smiles of athletes and non-athletes alike.

Planning an Exercise Regimen

You don’t have to be a superstar athlete—or even the kind that runs marathons—to participate in exercise. Even walking for 30 minutes a day most days of the week can improve your health. At a loss as to where to start? Begin with things you enjoy. Talking with your doctor about which types of exercise would be most beneficial for you is also a good place to start. High impact exercises such as jogging, biking, or jumping rope could be for you, or you may want to stick with low-impact exercises like swimming, yoga, or walking. The choice is yours, but remember that among many other health benefits, being physically active at least three times a week could reduce your risk for gum disease!

These studies also showed that smokers did not experience the same benefits of exercise as non-smokers did. In fact, smokers are more at risk for periodontal disease, regardless of their exercise habits! Exercising has many amazing benefits for your body, your brain, and your smile. Reduce your risk of periodontal disease by exercising!

The post Exercise Promotes Health in Teeth and Gums appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.