Are you a daytime clencher? Try this.....

Have you ever caught yourself unknowingly clenching your teeth during the day?

I know I have……

Often we don’t realize that we’re holding our jaw muscles even slightly contracted throughout the day. 

So why do we do this?

The most common cause of day time clenching I see in my practice is stress. 

Here’s what you can do about it….

1) Awareness: 

Check in with yourself periodically throughout the day. Is your jaw tight? Are your teeth touching?……If so move to step #2.

2) Bring your jaw back to proper resting position: 

To ease tension in your jaw, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, let your jaw muscles relax so that your teeth stay slightly apart (think of just enough space to be able to slide a credit card between your upper and lower teeth) and keep your lips together.
Fun Fact: Your teeth should never be touching. 

3) Focus on your breath: 

This is a simple and effective tool to lower your stress in the moment. Next time you are stressed and clenching try this breathing exercise. 
Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 4. Focus on raising the hand on your abdomen and having no movement from the hand on the chest. Repeat this several times.

If you need a little more than these tips, I’m here to help.

Schedule your Initial Assessment & Treatment today!