Clenching or grinding the teeth can be related to various physical problems, but I’m interested in it because it can mess with voice and speech! So let’s look at why we do it and, most importantly, how to stop.
What is jaw clenching?
Clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth (the medical term for this is bruxism) happens when we tense certain jaw-closing muscles all the time. These muscles are so powerful that we can “put” our tension there and not notice it for a long time. But eventually it can cause problems.
Why is it a problem?
Prolonged jaw clenching can lead to tooth damage (cracked or eroded teeth and enamel loss), headaches, tinnitus, earaches, TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder), face pain, jaw pain, and sleep disorders.
And it can make your voice harder to hear and/or understand.
What causes it?
Some possible contributing factors to bruxism include stress, anxiety, sleep apnea, certain medications (SSRIs in particular), and lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking alcohol, and drinking a lot of caffeine).
How to stop it?
Changing a habit requires frequent, mindful action. But it can be simple. If you have a habit of clenching your teeth, that just means that you contract your jaw-closing muscles without thinking about it. That is a physical habit and you can change it.
1. Check your posture. Bring your head on top of your body so your chin isn’t jutting forward or lifting up. Relax your shoulders. All these muscles are connected to the jaw. Exhale.
2. Keeping your lips gently touching, deliberately release the jaw so it just hangs slack. There will be a little space between your upper and lower back teeth. There’s no need to actively open the jaw, or wiggle it, or anything else. Just mindfully let it go. Depending on the level of tension, this might feel awkward or even uncomfortable.
3. Peel your tongue off the roof of your mouth. It tends to get slurped up there when we clench the jaw, and they are also obviously connected.
4. Repeat this 5-second reset every time you think of it, over and over. Reminding the body to let go, and actively releasing the habitual tension, will absolutely eventually help. The exercise is simple; it’s remembering to do it that can be tricky. Think of it every time you walk through a doorway, or change tasks. Put a sticky note on your computer. Set a random chime alarm on your phone to go off every 45-90 minutes to remind you. Be creative!
In addition to the specific behavioral approach above, other options include stress management techniques (my post Calm your body and mind in two minutes is a good starting place), temporary use of muscle relaxers, reducing alcohol/caffeine/smoking, or periodic Botox injections into the jaw muscles.
A final word about mouth guards. Your dentist might recommend a mouth guard (aka a bite guard) to protect your teeth if you grind them at night. While this does protect the teeth (an absolute priority!), it might not be a magic fix. While it protects the teeth, it doesn’t stop the clenching. In some cases it actually makes the clenching worse because now there is something to bite on. So if you need to wear one, I suggest also using other approaches to reduce the clenching overall.
If you’d like some customized guidance about changing jaw clenching habits, reach out for a session.
