Just about anyone can get affected by teeth grinding or bruxism. Teeth grinding is a medical condition in which a person unconsciously clenches, grinds, or both his or her teeth. Teeth grinding can occur during daytime or even during a person’s sleep known as “sleep bruxism”. Teeth grinding if not controlled can cause several complications that will not only damage teeth enamel of a person, it can even cause temporomandibular joint disorders and even unexplained earaches and headaches. Teeth grinding should be treated and managed as early as possible to prevent complications from taking place.

Mandibular Exercises

Mandibular exercises are exercises done in the mandibles or the jaw. The jaw can possibly be greatly affected from teeth grinding, which can result in jaw misalignment. Mandibular exercises can be done to help in controlling teeth grinding or bruxism problems and it can also help in preventing complications, such as misalignments to the mandibles or jaws.

Mandibular Exercise: Resistance Opening Exercise

This type of mandibular exercise will help and improve the strength of the mandibles, and resistance opening exercise can also help in relieving symptoms of misaligned mandibles. Here are the steps on how to perform resistance opening exercise:

1. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see the movement of your jaws during the resistance opening exercise.
2. Place the palm of your hand just under your chin.
3. Slowly open your mouth and gently apply pressure to your chin, so that it can create resistance while you are opening your mouth. But do not apply too much pressure on your chin, for it will not do your chin and mandibles any good. Just apply enough pressure to create slight resistance to your jaw.

Mandibular Exercise: Centering Exercise

1. Just like in resistance opening exercise, stand in front of a mirror so that you can properly see your jaw’s movement during the entire course of the exercise.
2. Gently clench (close) your upper and lower teeth together in your usual biting position.
3. Pull your upper and lower lips back so that you can properly visualize your teeth alignment.
4. Everytime you are going to open and close your mouth, as much as possible, always perfectly align your upper teeth with your lower teeth.
5. By doing this type of mandibular exercise, you will be aware on how you are going to open and close your teeth properly. You will be able to know and be aware whether your jaw or mandibles are correctly aligned all the time.