People are always aware of small aches and pains that they get during their lifetime, and, usually, you can determine what the issue is and have it fixed. But some people aren’t too sure about what a symptom might mean, or if what they are experiencing is even a symptom of something much larger.
These people might end up being called crazy if they rush to a doctor every time something doesn’t seem right, but if you are noticing your jaw is sore every morning when you wake up, there just might end up being a good reason.
Having a sore jaw when you wake up in the morning is one of the first signs of nightly teeth grinding. Because of the strain and pressure that grinding your teeth at night causes, you might wake up with a sore jaw. It will more than likely feel like you have clenched your teeth all night, causing your jaw bones and muscles to ache in ways you have never known before. If you do notice this happening to you firs thing in the morning on more than one occasion, it might be a good time to check with your dentist to see if your teeth are wearing down.
This isn’t the only sign that you are grinding or clenching your teeth at night. You see, it takes a lot of muscles to make your jaws grind or clench like this, and you could end up with a sore neck or shoulders as well. You might even find that you are having persistent headaches when you wake up. There is always the possibility that you bruise or bite down on the inside of your cheek, creating a sore. All of these things can be caused by grinding your teeth.
If you start to notice these symptoms happening to you on a regular basis, then chances are good that you are suffering from teeth grinding while you are asleep. You should check with your dentist to make sure that you aren’t chipping bits off your teeth as this can cause severe dental issues later on if they are not fixed right away.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can ease the pain from grinding your teeth. One of these ways is by purchasing and using a dental mouth guard while you are sleeping. Some of these can be pretty expensive, especially the ones from the dentist. Of course, it might be stress related as well and meditation can help with that.