If you regularly start your day with a thumping headache or a stiff jaw, we may be able to help. Headaches, ear ache, shoulder and neck pain and stiffness and discomfort around the jaw are often linked to tooth grinding or clenching during the night, also known as bruxism. At Harley Street Dental Studio, we can help to address these problems to ensure you wake up pain-free and ready for the day ahead.

Tooth grinding and headaches

Many people grind their teeth during the night without even realising it. If you clench or grind your teeth together, this increases pressure on the muscles around the jaw and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and contributes to misalignment of the jaw, which means that the muscles have to work harder to perform day to day actions, causing increased tension and fatigue.

Symptoms that may be caused by clenching the teeth include:

• clicking and popping noise when you move your jaw
• headaches
• jaw spasm
• restricted range of movement in the jaw and TMJ
• pain in the ears, neck or shoulders

Often, grinding the teeth is linked to stress or anxiety, but it can also be connected with tooth misalignment.

How we can help

When we see patients with tell-tale signs of bruxism, we often recommend a dental splint; a splint helps to prevent the top and bottom arches of teeth from touching while you sleep and this helps to eliminate the symptoms listed above. Splints are custom-made to fit your mouth.

We can also offer Botox therapy for patients who suffer with crippling chronic migraines.