4 days ago
Dentist Shares 1 Simple Breathing Exercise to Stop Clenching Your Jaw
Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can do a serious number on your teeth and jaw muscles.
If you're a regular jaw-clencher, you're familiar with the soreness, tooth pain and maybe even headaches that this unconscious habit can cause. And, it might feel like there's not much you can do about clenching your teeth during the day.
But a quick, expert-approved breathing exercise can help calm your body and mind in the moment, helping you de-stress and unclench in less than a minute.
Expert Tip of the Day: Simple Breathing Exercise to Stop Clenching Your Jaw
If you're someone who clenches your teeth or jaw during the day, "the first step is to realize that you are clenching,' Dr. Matthew Messina, a consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association and associate professor at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, told previously.
Once you catch yourself, taking a moment to perform a simple breathing exercise can help you calm down and release the tension.
Why It Matters
The technical term for grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw is bruxism, and this behavior can happen at night or during the day.
While the specific cause of bruxism at night is still a bit of a scientific mystery, daytime clenching "is more significantly associated with stressful events than sleep-related bruxism," Dr. Elizabeth Rae Hatfield, clinical assistant professor specializing in orofacial pain at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, tells
'If we're stressed out, one of the ways the body burns off that extra energy is by clenching and grinding the teeth,' Messina said. 'It's the body's natural defense mechanism kind of gone off the rails.'
If your bruxism is left untreated, you may develop some painful and potentially serious symptoms. In particular, your teeth might show excess wear and become sensitive. You can also develop morning headaches and jaw soreness. Down the line, bruxism can put you at a greater risk for oral health problems, like gum recession and cracked or loose teeth.
While you can protect your teeth from some consequences of nighttime bruxism through the use of a night guard, you can't necessarily get away with wearing your device during the day. And, if you're getting stressed while working at your desk or driving, it can be challenging to take a step back and realize what you're doing.
That means catching yourself clenching — and taking the time to perform this stress-relieving biofeedback exercise — is one of the only ways to stop daytime bruxism.
How to Get Started
Messina shared this quick exercise he gives patients to stop clenching their jaw during the day:
Start by taking a deep breath in through your nose, and hold it in while you count to four.
Slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to four.
Then place the palms of your hands on the sides of your face with your fingers spread out.
Draw your fingers slow down the sides of your face and into your neck.
Finish by taking another deep breath.
An exercise like this may feel and sound a little" goofy," Messina said, "but that relaxes the jaw muscles as part of a biofeedback loop."
Once you're done and feeling a little more relaxed, "you can go back on with with life from there," Messina said.
TODAY's Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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