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Narrator:

Can grinding my teeth at night affect my sleep?

Michael Breus, PhD:

Absolutely. Teeth grinding, or what we call bruxism can have multiple effects. Number one, it can increase jaw pain. And we know that pain can affect your ability to fall asleep quite significantly. It can also cause tooth damage. So if you see those or you're concerned about that, you should talk with your dentist immediately.

Narrator:

What can be done?

Michael Breus, PhD:

Usually you can use a night guard. There's some pretty fancy night guards out there that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Quite honestly, if you go to a sporting goods shop and you get one of those boil and bites, you'll be fine.

Narrator:

What's a boil and bite?

Michael Breus, PhD:

A boil and bite is a plastic piece that you drop into a pot of boiling water and then you put it into your mouth and it will mold to your teeth, and then you can sleep with it. And usually you can see them, football players use them, soccer players use them, and people like that.