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Grinding To A Halt?

Is that constant grinding giving you a headache at work?  – Or is that headache at work initiating the constant grinding?

…According to a recent report by The Guardian‘s Health Corespondent – Denis Campbell, there has been a surge in teeth grinding.  Usually caused by stress, dentists are blaming the upsurge on job insecurity – many would link this directly to the recession.

Teeth grinding can lead to a number of issues such as constant headaches, oral pain and even eating problems; these can lie untreated for a very long time and will often result in cracking of the tooth, or the loss of a tooth or two!

But teeth grinding, known as Bruxism in the medical world, is also commonplace in children.  As many as 30% of children will grind or clench their teeth during the night and although most do eventually out-grow it, it’s the ones who continue into adulthood that need to take a closer look at things.  As an example, many people actually grind their teeth in an attempt to relieve stress – a bit like rubbing a muscle when you bruise it – but all this grinding and clenching throughout the day can put your teeth and jaw under unnecessary stress which will just lead to more pain – the aforementioned splitting headache – and maybe most surprisingly, few people realise they are doing it!

I’m not a huge fan of day-to-day stress and for the most part I manage to keep fairly relaxed throughout however, I also know all to well what working 60 hours a week and non-stop travel feel like.  So if you’re finding constant headaches a problem, or your teeth and jaw are aching, book an appoointment to find out the appropriate advice for you before things deteriorate a little too far and you really do grind to a halt!

TD.  x