In the month of June and July, it is considered as the end of financial year. People in finance sector would come across stress related to work during this time of the year. One of the most common stress related joint/jaw pain is from clenching and bruxism.
Factors that contribute to bruxism include gene, sleep pattern, psychological factors such as distress and anxiety, environmental factors, and dietary in-take such as caffeine.
Effective management of bruxism includes the recognition of potential causative factors. For example daytime clenching or night time bruxism may be related to stress factors and other psycho social parameters.
Once we aware of the potential cause of joint/jaw pain, management for pain from daytime clenching and nighttime bruxism are as follows.
- Life style modification e.g. less consumption of tea and coffee
- Relaxation therapy e.g. listening to soothing music, meditation, exercise
- Consultation with dentist/ physiotherapist
- Wearing occlusal splint at night time
