Clenching and Grinding
Clenching and grinding (also known as bruxism) are common issues where teeth are unconsciously clenching or grinding together, often during sleep or in response to stress. Symptoms include jaw pain, headaches, worn-down teeth, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. These behaviours can be influenced by a variety of factors, including stress, anxiety, misaligned teeth, sleep disturbances, or an improper bite. Myofunctional therapy can be an effective approach to managing these conditions, particularly when they are linked to muscle dysfunction or oral posture issues.
Myofunctional Therapy for Clenching and Grinding
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Muscle Retraining: Clenching and grinding is often linked to overactive or improper functional jaw and facial muscles. Therapy will retrain the muscles to relax and function properly. Jaw movement control, muscle tension reduction, and prevention of overuse of muscles will be focused on throughout therapy. ​
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Restoring Proper Tongue Posture: Ensuring the tongue is resting in the correct position at the roof of the mouth is one of the key components of therapy. Poor oral posture and imbalanced muscles can be contributing factors to clenching and grinding, so reducing these muscles imbalances will help alleviate clenching and grinding tendencies.
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​Correcting Breathing Patterns: Mouth breathers often have higher risks of clenching or grinding, as mouth breathing affects the tongue position, the jaw, and the teeth. Dry mouth and other oral health issues also contribute to clenching and grinding. Training individuals to nasal breath will improve overall oral posture, and encourage a more relaxed and balanced oral environment. ​
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Reducing Stress and Tension: Clenching and grinding is often associated with stress and anxiety, leading to subconscious clenching as a coping mechanism. Psychological aspects of stress are not directly addressed in myofunctional therapy, the exercises can release muscle tension, improving overall relaxation. ​
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Improving Bite and Jaw Alignment: Improper bite or malocclusion can contribute to clenching and grinding, so therapy can work to correct the jaw positioning and improve oral function through retraining the muscles causing misalignment. Jaw movments, tongue exercieses, or coordination btween the tongue, lips, and jaw will reduce the likelihood of clenching and grinding. ​​