Bruxism involves the grinding of one’s teeth. Over time this can cause significant damage to one’s teeth, jaw, and facial structure. I have nocturnal bruxism (it occurs only at night) though I also think I clench my jaw unnecessarily during the day. This page is a compilation of information I have found in my search for resolutions and which I hope will be helpful to others.
Dr. Moti Nissani’s article “When the Splint Fails: Non-Traditional Approaches to the Treatment of Bruxism” in The Orthodontic CYBERjournal (June, 2000) is an excellent introduction to bruxism in general and to alternative treatments in particular.
One of the most interesting segments of the article involves the possibility of using nutritional supplements to treat some forms of bruxism. Dr. Nissani suggests the following tentative dosing:1Note that it appears to be a synergistic effect between the supplements – those taking only A, C, E, and iodine did not show improvements.
| Supplement | Recommended | I’m Using |
| Magnesium | 100 mg | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (140 mg).2It is important not to take too much magnesium as it can cause a number of side effects according to Dr. Nissani. Interestingly, he suggests 100 mg as the maximum recommended dosage for magnesium, yet One A Day has 140 mg. |
| Calcium | 150 mg | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (150 mg). |
| Pantothenic Acid | 50 mg | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (16 mg). |
| Vitamin A | 1,000 IU | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (3,500 IU). |
| Vitamin C | 300 mg | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (60 mg). |
| Vitamin E | 60 mg | One A Day Men’s Health Formula (~20 mg).3The nutritional label gives in IU but does not specify whether this is natural or synthetic. Using Pharm[Dev]SmartTools one can convert IU to mg, but the results vary based on whether it is natural or synthetic. I used the synthetic calculation, see the above link to calculate natural. |
| Iodine | 100 mcg | Not currently supplemented. |
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Note that it appears to be a synergistic effect between the supplements – those taking only A, C, E, and iodine did not show improvements. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | It is important not to take too much magnesium as it can cause a number of side effects according to Dr. Nissani. Interestingly, he suggests 100 mg as the maximum recommended dosage for magnesium, yet One A Day has 140 mg. |
| ↑3 | The nutritional label gives in IU but does not specify whether this is natural or synthetic. Using Pharm[Dev]SmartTools one can convert IU to mg, but the results vary based on whether it is natural or synthetic. I used the synthetic calculation, see the above link to calculate natural. |