07/26/2024

How to Tell if You’re Clenching Your Jaw

Here's how to stop it

When Dr. Priya Mistry asks people if they clench their jaws, they usually say no—yet she can see clear signs suggesting otherwise. So, now, she words the question differently: Are they aware of their jaw-clenching tendencies? “That makes them stop and think,” said Mistry, a dentist in Vancouver, Wash., who specializes in jaw disorders.

If her patients still say, "no," Mistry coaches them to pay special attention to what they do when they are stressed.

"When you're focused at work, or when you're stuck in traffic, really monitor where your teeth are," she said. "Are they together? Are they apart? Because if you're not talking to anyone—you're just sitting in your car—your lips should be together and your teeth should be apart. They should not be touching. Our teeth aren’t meant to be in contact all day."

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.