Tooth Grinding
Natural Remedies

Tooth Grinding - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Mar 18, 2025
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While it may seem like a relatively mild condition, teeth grinding can actually cause serious health issues and should be treated as quickly as possible. In addition to dental treatment, you should also consider natural cures, such as vitamin B5, magnesium, and calcium.

What Causes Teeth Grinding?

Teeth grinding, or bruxism as it is called professionally, is a condition in which your grind, gnash or clench your teeth. Mayo Clinic suggests that the condition can be an unconscious clenching throughout the day or a subconscious grinding at night. In some cases, the grinding is mild and does not actually require treatment; however, in more severe cases, which are common, jaw disorders, headaches, and even damaged teeth are often the result.

While doctors don’t actually completely understand the condition or its cause, different physical and/or psychological issues may be to blame. Some of the most commonly suggested causes include anxiety, stress, suppressed anger, frustration, aggressive personality, abnormal alignment of your teeth, other sleep problems, pain from an earache, complication from other diseases or disorders, or even psychiatric medication.

How Do I Know If I Grind My Teeth?

Because teeth grinding often occurs at night, it can be difficult to identify. However, there are a number of factors that you can be aware of to help you determine whether you are grinding your teeth without knowing it. Common symptoms include worn or flattened teeth, worn tooth enamel, tooth sensitivity, jaw pain or tightness, tired jaw muscles, earache, headache, chronic facial pain, damage on the inside of your cheek, and indentations in your tongue.

Are There Any Natural Cures for Teeth Grinding?

Consulting your dentist or even doctor for potential treatments is important to help your avoid further damage to your teeth. However, you can also use a number of natural treatments to help combat the issue. Vitamin B5, calcium and magnesium are a few of the most common nutritional treatments, but other important treatment options include doing yoga, drinking a warm beverage before bed, and using heat to relax your jaw muscles.

1. Vitamin B5

According to the Health Wyze Report, teeth grinding is most often the result of a nutritional deficiency. As such, options like vitamin B5 are important nutritional supports for remedying the condition. The nutrient helps treat a number of the common symptoms associated with bruxism and may even help reduce stress and hyperactivity. You should take vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid as a dietary supplement each day. A common dose is 5-10mg.

2. Calcium

Calcium is another important treatment option supported by NaturalSleep.org. This treatment helps support bone strength and even prevents teeth grinding by supporting effective neural development.

3. Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is often one of the root causes of bruxism, so taking a magnesium supplement is often a good way to treat the condition. You can get magnesium from green leafy vegetables and nuts, or you can take a combination supplement that contains magnesium in addition to calcium and vitamin D.

Try one of these nutritional supplements in combination with stress-reducing practices or keep reading below for additional remedies suggested by our contributors.

References:
Diseases and Conditions: Bruxism - http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bruxism/basics/definition/con-20029395
Home Remedies for Teeth Grinding - http://www.naturalsleep.org/home-remedies-for-teeth-grinding/
Naturally Treating and Curing Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) - http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/566-naturally-treating-and-curing-teeth-grinding-bruxism.html


The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Garlic, Olive Leaf, and Wormwood

Posted by Lori (Phoenix, Az) on 04/14/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I've had jaw clenching problems for years and have looked for the underlying problem as well as the cure. I refuse to believe that the problem is stress although I'll be the first to say that I've had plenty of stress in my life. Although, I've also had times of great relief from stress and through it all, I've been clenching. Currently, I'm not working, my stress has decreased immensely and yet, every night, I would clench.....that is up until last night. Five days ago, I started on a routine of eating raw garlic everyday and taking olive leaf and a wormwood formula. I've only been taking the supplements twice a day and at lunch, I've been eating a tablespoon of raw garlic mixed into a spicy avocado hummus. I've been on a modified Paleo diet for almost 2 years and would not usually eat hummus nor the crackers that I've been dipping into the hummus but I decided that I wanted to eat raw garlic and wanted to make it easy on myself. Actually, it's quite good with the hummus and crackers and my husband has been great with me smelling like garlic every night! This morning I woke up with no tension in my jaw and had not been clenching last night. It is definitely too early to say that I've cured myself but I'm thrilled to have made progress.

I've tried magnesium, night guards, quitting my job, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, massage, cupping my jaws (massage cupping), sleeping without a pillow flat on my back, hanging upside down on an inversion table and bouncing on a mini-tramp to fix/cure this problem. This is the first time that I've gotten some relief. I have no idea if I have parasites and if indeed they are causing the jaw clenching - I've read numerous articles that talk about this possibility - I'm just happy to see results.

I plan on taking a break with the garlic for 3 days and seeing how it goes, then I will decide if I go back to it and for how long. As far as other effects from the garlic - I've noticed that I wake up before the alarm goes off and I've been waking up easily. I've also been sleeping much better.



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