Grinding and clenching teeth

A comment rather than a question. My dentist recently observed that my back molars have been ground down a bit. I was mystified because I don’t think that I grind my teeth in my sleep. Next day at yoga I realised that I clench my teeth hard when doing Sasangasana (rabbit). One and a half minutes, three times a week, in a hot room for three years or so, would be enough to grind down my teeth. Now I consciously unclench my teeth, suck my tummy in harder and find that I’ve gained in the position. It’s interesting that I’d developed a long standing bad habit without realising. We should strive to attain full consciousness in all of the postures.
Posted by Julie House on 01/21 at 08:07 PM

Hello Julie

I thank you for your posting…

I know you probably didn’t expect a response but I would like to add to your comments.

Tooth clenching is often stress related, but tooth grinding on the other hand, is actually a primate behavior.

What you noticed becoming a habit in class is a fantastic observation. You have become more aware and have taken the steps to remove that element from your conscious hours!
Clenching and what it does to the muscles in your head, neck and shoulders is an extensive subject (of many a book I am sure) and extremely complicated. What I can say in all certainty is a couple of important things:

1) your teeth should never touch at all unless you are eating.
2) grinding happens generally as an unconscious ‘habit’ that is innate, but can be worsened with stress related conditions. Everybody grinds to some degree.

Grinding habits can be separate from the clenching behaviors. I doubt very much that your grinding is a result of 3 years of yoga. It would be a result of a lifelong habit.
If your dentist has observed your molars are ground down, and he/she feels that you need to address that, then you may need something called an occlusal splint. Please ask them to explain what it is and how it works. It is a diagnostic tool and it will also help reduce stress levels because of the way it lengthens and relaxes the muscles around the jaws. It could get to the bottom of any unusual cause of the grinding (beyond the regular stuff, perhaps your occlusion – or the way your teeth bite together – needs some attention).

Namaste
Gabrielle (Dentist, graduated 1986!) 🙂