Welcome to May! Sounds in the neighborhood have changed to singing birds, children playing in the yard, and the occasional lawn mower. It is time to get out and enjoy these beautiful days.

Our April email newsletter winner will be out there! "Scooping" up their gift certificate for ice cream at Buttonwoods. Enjoy! 

We love your comments and questions! Be one the first to share this email on social media or forward to friends and you will be entered for May's prize, a gift certificate to McKenna's Flower Shop.

Have you noticed that your face hurts when you wake in the morning? Are your teeth a bit more sensitive lately? Are your headaches more frequent? This month, we are going to talk about teeth grinding, a.k.a., Bruxism.

Often a result of stress, Bruxism, more commonly referred to as teeth grinding, can happen during the day but generally is a nighttime occurrence for many.  Symptoms can include:

• Noisy grinding, it may disrupt your sleep-and your partners sleep
• Often causes tooth sensitivity and tooth fracture.
• Headaches, jaw pain and sometimes earaches
• Insomnia
• Eating disorders
• Abnormal bite- teeth out of alignment

Most people will grind their teeth upon occasion.  If it is a persistent problem, you may start to notice these perpetual teeth grinding signs:

• Broken teeth
• Teeth that appear flattened or ground down
• Facial pain and muscle tenderness.
• TMJ disorders
• Avoiding cold or crunchy foods

While the damage caused by grinding your teeth may not be reversible, treatment to save your smile is simple.  Try some of these to combat your grinding:

• Apply warm compress to the area
• Follow a soft diet-- avoid nuts and chewing on ice cubes!
• Rest and drink plenty of water
• Reduce or remove stress factors
• Visit your Dentist to be evaluated for an oral appliance or nightguard 

It is important to reduce stress in your environment. Consider practicing yoga or deep breathing techniques. Meditation classes are also a good way calm the mind.  Visit our links at the top of this month's email.

These practices can often relieve stress and calm you after a busy day. If this isn't enough to subside your bruxism symptoms, teeth grinding can be helped with a visit to your Dentist.

Do you know someone who has been mentioning these symptoms?  Missing out on events and having fun with you? Let them know there may be a way to help them be more comfortable and enjoy their day!