A tight jaw can result from stress, anxiety, inflammation, or injury. Overexerting the jaw — by chewing too much, for example — can also cause muscle tightness. The joint of the jaw, also called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is a ball-and-socket joint similar to that in the shoulder.
Smile Stretch
Smile as wide as possible, but make sure you don't feel any tightness or pain. As you smile, open your jaw slowly for about two inches. Inhale through your mouth deeply, then exhale as you let go of your smile. This can help relax your upper and lower jaw, facial muscles, and neck.
The common causes for bruxism are emotional stress (anxiety and anger), drug use, physical stress (illness, nutritional deficiencies or dehydration), sleep problems, teething (in babies), bad tooth alignment and problems with dental work. Some people can also get bruxism as a side effect of antidepressants.
Oral health specialists often point to too much stress and certain personality types as causes of bruxism. Bruxism often affects people with nervous tension, such as anger, pain, or frustration. It also affects people with aggressive, hurried, or overly competitive tendencies.
Daytime bruxism is often associated with frustration and stress. People rarely consciously grind their teeth during the day, but they may unconsciously clench their jaw and start to grind their teeth if they are under a lot of stress. In this case, stress reduction tactics are often useful, including: Meditation.
Try to identify the times when you are stressed and you clench your jaw. Then, give yourself a little massage or allow the muscles to all go loose. Once you feel that all the tension has gone out of your jaws, then try to hold them in that position.
Clenching and grinding of teeth are two of the major causes of TMJ pain. However, this is not an irreversible condition, and with proper treatment, one may be able to cure TMJ pain permanently. For starters, you must stop any habits of teeth grinding or clenching, and anything that puts pressure on the joint.
Jaw clenching and grinding will lead to many problems including: Wear and tear on the teeth which will lead to temperature sensitivity, chip, cracked, or loss of teeth. Aching teeth, particularly just after waking up is common. Inflammation and pain in the TMJ, leading to Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
You should talk to a healthcare provider if you have jaw pain that lasts more than a week. Severe jaw pain from a broken or dislocated jaw is a medical emergency. Likewise, severe pain that starts in your chest and your shoulders and moves to your jaw may be a heart attack symptom.
This involves placing the tongue lightly on the top/roof of your mouth wherever it is most comfortable while allowing the teeth to come apart, and relaxing the jaw muscles. Often putting your tongue gently on the roof of your mouth like when you softly say “n” or “no”, “never”, “nothing” is a comfortable position.
Stress is a common cause of random pain in the mouth, jaw, teeth, ears, and sinus cavities. For instance: Tightened mouth and jaw muscles can cause pain in the mouth and jaw, which can radiate to other parts of the face, including the ears and sinuses. Many people clench their mouth, jaw, or teeth when stressed.
This condition may last for a few days to a week. On rare occasions, jaw stiffness may take longer to resolve. Ice packs provided by the office can be used as heat packs by heating them in hot water. Be careful that the packs do not get hot enough to burn the skin.
Remember that for most people, discomfort from TMJ disorders will eventually go away on its own. Simple self-care practices are often effective in easing symptoms. If treatment is needed, it should be based on a reasonable diagnosis, be conservative and reversible, and be customized to your special needs.
Researchers have found Buspar to be highly effective for depression and for preventing bruxism as a side effect. Consider switching your Paxil or Zoloft to Buspar to avoid jaw clenching and bruxism. Other medications that have been reported to cause bruxism include dopamine agents.
Many kids outgrow bruxism without treatment, and many adults don't grind or clench their teeth badly enough to require therapy. However, if the problem is severe, options include certain dental approaches, therapies and medications to prevent more tooth damage and relieve jaw pain or discomfort.
Doctors don't completely understand what causes bruxism, but it may be due to a combination of physical, psychological and genetic factors. Awake bruxism may be due to emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, frustration or tension. Or it may be a coping strategy or a habit during deep concentration.
In healthy individuals, bruxism can be considered a muscle behavior, which can be harmless or represent a risk factor for clinical consequences, rather than being a disorder per se.
You may not have realized this, but teeth are not meant to touch. It sounds odd, but think about it. They don't touch while you speak, smile or rest. Even when you chew, your teeth only have to be close enough to mash food, not necessarily touch.