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Alternatives To Mouth Guards

Bruxism, the clenching of the jaw and grinding of the teeth, can lead to serious head and facial pain. A common method of reducing this pain is to wear a mouth guard at night while you sleep. But if a mouth guard doesn't work for you or you are unable to get used to wearing one, there are several other methods you can try. You may find that a combination of alternative methods works best.

  1. Stress Management

    • Stress exacerbates nearly every physical condition, and head and jaw pain is no exception. When you experience stress, you might clench your jaw, grind your teeth or tense your neck muscles, all of which create pain. Activities like yoga, aerobic exercise and talk therapy will help you relieve stress. Also, try to catch yourself clenching your jaw and tensing muscles so you can immediately stop and look for a way to deal with the situation.

    Biofeedback

    • As explained by the Mayo Clinic, biofeedback involves wearing electrical sensors that monitor your body's responses to stress and use a flashing light or beeping sound to let you know you are having a stress-induced response to something. As you begin to associate your physical response, like clenching your jaw, with something stressful, you have the opportunity to learn to change your body's response to stressors.

    Proper Jaw Alignment

    • Rather than use a mouth guard, you may benefit from having dental work done. Having an overbite, underbite, missing teeth or similar dental conditions affect jaw alignment and can lead to pain. Also, if you've experienced any injury to your head or neck, including car accidents, having some dental work done might be a good alternative to wearing a mouth guard.

    Medications

    • The Mayo Clinic notes that although medications typically aren't effective for relieving jaw pain, some doctors prescribe relaxants that are taken at bedtime. The point of this is to relax your jaw and neck enough that you don't clench or grind your teeth in your sleep. If your bruxism is a side effect of a medication, like an antidepressant, your doctor may have you try another medication.

    Acupuncture

    • Another alternative to wearing a mouth guard is to get acupuncture treatments designed specifically to relax your jaw muscles and reduce stress throughout your body. Acupuncture may be especially effective for people with short-term pain, but may require long-term treatment for chronic pain.

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