If you want to get back in touch with your roots and your primitive self then teeth are your portal. Our teeth and jaws are ancient biotech in human terms. That we grind our teeth under stress and even in our sleep is testament to this. Grinding your teeth is known as bruxism – the question is, what you can do about it. Get ready to enter into the primal zone, where our instinctual behaviours take no prisoners. Survival is linked strongly to our jaws and teeth – the bite of life stuff. Therefore, it is no surprise that our stress reactions involve behaviours like grinding teeth.
Bruxism & The Instinctive Self
That we would do this in our sleep, also, fits in a modern world where primal stuff is, often, hidden. Our sleep and dreaming time is where we can release the public personas and masks fall away. Raw feeling can result in instinctive reactions, whether that be anxiety or suppressed rage. Bruxism is a clear indication that the subject would do well to pay attention to what he or she is feeling. We too often, live exclusively in our heads, in the cerebral realm, and ignore the messages from our bodies at our own peril. Grinding your teeth: Bruxism and what you can do about it.
So, What Is Bruxism Exactly?
The acts of teeth grinding and jaw clenching are known as ‘bruxism’. Defined by those in the oral medicine field as repetitive jaw muscle activity. The involuntary grinding and clenching of teeth. You might have read the expression ‘the gnashing of teeth’ in literature? Bruxism can be identified via the wear on teeth by dentists. Cheeks get bitten as well and this leaves signs too. Jaw pain, headaches and mechanical issues with eating can all be indications of bruxism. It is an all too common problem.
What Actually Causes Teeth Grinding?
Cocaine use has been identified as a growing source of bruxism, as usage of this recreational amphetamine increases. Alcohol and smoking are old favourites when it comes to causes for teeth grinding behaviours. Antidepressants and antipsychotics can cause bruxism too. Sleep disorders, more generally, can be associated with grinding of teeth. Snoring, that old dragon, is the whipping post for most negative behaviours which occur in the sleep or reactive non-sleep of human beings. Stress, as mentioned earlier, is recognised as a very prevalent source for bruxism. I would say, also, that too much pent up energy inside, whether that be from caffeine, over stimulation, or anxiety needs release and that reflexive jaw action provides that in a negative sense.
Bruxism & Your Teeth
Bruxism is not great for your teeth. Dentists report that they have seen teeth broken by the force of the constant teeth grinding, which they have had to extract because of it. Broken fillings are a very common occurrence from bruxism. Teeth are, obviously, being worn down ahead of time and that does not bode well for the sufferer. The power of the human jaw is quite frightening in this sense.
What Can Be Done About Teeth Grinding?
If you are a confirmed bruxist and set in your ways, then wearing an occlusal splint is recommended by dental specialists. This is a mouthguard worn at night whilst you sleep. It is fitted and sold by dentists. The cost can be in a range from $800 to $1400, according to reports. Cheaper mouthguards can be accessed via pharmacies, which are usually boil and bite. Thus, are self-fitting on this basis. Experts tell us that these will not be as comfortable but will do the job, perhaps, not as effectively.
Beyond the technological solutions, dealing with the source of the stress, anxiety or rage can be positively life changing. Learning relaxation techniques rather than knocking yourself out with alcohol or drugs can be a powerful transforming improvement.
Drinking alcohol does not really deal with tension in any enduring or substantial way. It knocks people out if done to excess but the teeth grinding still goes on in the unconscious state. Meditation and mindfulness can assist, once the tension is acknowledged. Real awareness of what is going on under the hood is the most important step in this process. Denial of feelings will not get the job done.
How Do You Know If You Have Bruxism?
“Arosha Weerakoon, senior dentistry lecturer at the University of Queensland, says there are tests to help diagnose bruxism.
Both Dr Weerakoon and Dr Heaphy say that if you have bruxism concerns you should speak with your dentist first.”
– ABC.net.au
Waking up in the morning with a sore jaw can be a sign that you should start paying more attention to the possibility that you are grinding your teeth. The lack of awareness around this problem contributes to its enduring seriousness over time. You may not have a bed partner to warn you about what you get up to whilst sleeping. Tired jaw muscles are one indicator that can tell solo types whether some bruxism is going on.
Another instance, which is common for teeth grinding is when we are stuck in traffic in the car. This lets us know that bruxism is clearly associated with feelings of frustration. Our jaws are repositories for a great deal of energy, primal energy. If this energy is frustrated and unable to positively express itself we can grind away in frustration. Releasing this built up negative energy through exercising, swimming, running, yoga or such like will be positive.
“Teeth grinding and clenching while awake is easier to recognize. It’s thought to be caused by stress and anxiety. Some people may also grind or clench their teeth while deep in concentration. Once you realize that you’re doing it, it’s important to figure out when and why.”
– News in Health
Grinding your teeth: Bruxism and what you can do about it. We have revealed a number of characteristics of bruxism, which you may find useful in identifying it. Talk to your dentist about whether you have any wear signs on your teeth or inner cheek area indicating its presence. Remember that everything in life can be helpful in understanding more about yourself. What do the wise say, that life is a mystery to be lived rather than a problem to be solved.
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