Did you know that the term yoga is roughly derived from the notion “yoking together” which is essentially related to creating a harmony between movement and breath?

Do you know what jaw pain, protecting your teeth and yoga may have in common? Refresh Dental in Brisbane will explain.

You may be clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth without even knowing

Bruxism, otherwise known as teeth grinding, can often be attributed to stress. While you may feel stressed and tense in the day, often jaw clenching can extend well into the night while you are asleep. Severe grinding and clenching, which causes headaches, jaw pain and tooth sensitivity, can be symptoms of a TMJ Disorder. A TMJ Disorder is caused by the improper function of the temporomandibular joint, otherwise known as your jaw joint.

Some symptoms that may indicate that you have a TMJ disorder include:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Headaches and migraines
• Aching jaw
• Hearing loss
• Bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep)
• Damaged and worn down teeth
• Clicking or popping of your jaw
• Jaw stiffness

So how exactly can yoga protect your teeth and alleviate symptoms of TMJ disorders?

Stress is a major cause of jaw clenching and grinding, which are symptoms of a TMJ Disorder. When stress triggers jaw clenching and grinding, the muscles in the jaw contract and become tense.

Yoga actively targets both stress and tension in the muscles

When it comes to protecting your teeth, it is all about the relaxation of the muscles. When you grind your teeth together, the enamel of your teeth can become worn down. This can result in both jaw pain and damaging of the structural integrity of your teeth, which can lead to tooth decay.

The practice of yoga is designed to relax all of the muscles in the body. By relaxing your jaw muscle, you can help prevent the erosion of your teeth’s enamel.

It is important to note that while yoga may alleviate some of the symptoms and discomfort associated with grinding and clenching, it is important to have a dental professional assess your condition and provide treatment options that address the source of your symptoms.

Treating TMJ disorders, clenching and teeth grinding

While yoga may be a useful tool in helping you stay relaxed, more serious cases often facilitate the help of a trained dental professional. The team at Refresh Dental in Brisbane offer comprehensive care for those experiencing clenching and teeth grinding, as well as those with more severe TMJ disorders. In our Brisbane dental practice we can conservatively treat TMJ pain with:

• Muscle Relaxants

Muscle-relaxing injectables have traditionally been used for cosmetic anti-wrinkle treatment, but have also been found to be a highly effective and safe way to treat TMJ disorders.

As jaw pain is largely caused by the contraction of the jaw muscles, it is important to target these muscles when alleviating pain. Muscle-relaxing injectables will weaken the targeted muscles, whilst leaving enough strength for normal use, which means that your chewing and speaking function will not be affected.

• Bite Splints

A bite splint will be worn while you sleep and will be specifically designed to relieve the stress put on your TMJ joint and decrease the frequency of teeth grinding. A bite splint can either cover the middle teeth or the outermost teeth at the back of the mouth. The two sides will generally be connected with a metal wire for easy and comfortable placement and removal.

Holistic care at Refresh Dental in Brisbane

If you experience jaw discomfort, clenching or grinding then it’s possible that you have a TMJ dysfunction. If you are experiencing these symptoms we recommend coming to visit our Brisbane dental practice for a thorough assessment of your condition.

While yoga and other relaxation activities may help to alleviate some of the discomfort of clenching and grinding, it is very important that a dental professional treats this disorder at the source of the concern.

To find out more about clenching and teeth grinding, as well as TMJ disorders, please don’t hesitate to call 07 3106 3303 or contact us online.

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