Imagine, you get up from bed in the morning and suddenly, you realise your teeth are a bit tight; or you are just having a meal and feeling your teeth be tight.
Our body is ever-changing, and so does our mouth. So tightness feeling in the teeth is a common problem nowadays. Tightness feeling in teeth is not actually any big issue at all.
So, what causes our teeth feel tight?
Your teeth may feel tight for several reasons like shifting of teeth, cavity, after flossing or crowning, maybe because of a change of shape of our jaw and so on.
In this article, we will let you know the causes of tight feelings of teeth and remedies at the same time; so, without any further delay, let’s dive right in.
If you are an angry flosser, you might hurt your gum or damage your teeth. Damage to teeth may induce sensitivity issues and thus you may feel your teeth tight.
Table of Content
What Are the Causes for Teeth Feeling Tight?
Well, there are several reasons causing this problem. Amongst them, teeth shifting is one of them. Due to insufficient space, your teeth may align closely and making them so much tight.
Also, your teeth may get tight due to miss alignment.
External pressure change is another reason behind tooth tightness. It normally happens with the people dealing with pressure change, like underwater divers, pilots, skydivers, mountain climbers and so on. These changed pressure conditions often create this problem.
Teeth Feel Tight After Filling
You may experience either hot or cold after completing your filling and this is very much normal.
Your tooth undergoes various conditions like drilling or restoration, causing damage to your nerves. So, you might have to face a sensitivity problem which can last a few days to weeks. The deeper the drill, the more the risk of nerves getting damaged. This situation often makes you feel tightness in your tooth.
Teeth Feel Tight After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth, the last teeth to grow often cause teeth shifting and thus tightness feeling in the teeth. After the growth of wisdom teeth, most of the time there are insufficient spaces which cause teeth shifting. Most dental experts believe that wisdom teeth push forward the other ones and make them align closely.
But, most researchers failed to demonstrate the relation between teeth shifting with the removal (extraction) of wisdom teeth. So, most dentists nowadays do not recommend pulling out wisdom teeth just to stop teeth from shifting.
Teeth Feel Tight After Flossing
Flossing, a technique to cut down the possible breeding spots of teeth for bacteria with a sharp rope often creates tight feelings. Normally, it should not be a problem, but if you are an angry flosser, you might hurt your gum or damage your teeth. Damage to teeth may induce sensitivity issues and thus you may feel your teeth tight.
Most of the time new flossers may face this problem. If you are facing it, just know the proper process of flossing and do it gently.
Teeth Feel Tight After Crown
Dental crowns are one of the best dental restorative procedures. No matter what the condition of your teeth is, crowns will make them fully functional. It can eliminate bad toothache and make them beautiful.
But, problem arises if the crown is not fitted properly through root canal therapy. You may feel toothaches at the same time may feel your tooth tight.
Teeth Feeling Weird when I Bite Down
Our teeth get occluded while eating so the pressure is evenly distributed. But problem arises if your tooth, crown or cap is misaligned or placed too tight. You may feel pain or tingling feeling while biting in such cases.
If a large cavity in your teeth or enamel wears away, you might face sensitivity issues in your teeth. You will feel weird while eating hot or cold foods or drinks whether it be a hot flavoured coffee or ice cream.
You will feel pain for sure if you have a cracked tooth. Other reasons include
- Periodontal disease
- Nasal pressure or congestion
- Gum recession and root exposure
- Dental abscess
Jaw and Teeth Feel Tight
A locked jaw can create discomfort or pain in any part of the body. The pain varies from moderate to severe. A locked jaw can create discomfort on:
- Teeth
- Mouth
- Face
- Nose
- Head
- Ears
- Jaw
- Neck
Other signs of a tight jaw, in addition to pain, are:
- Clicking sounds
- Locking of the jaw movements
- Limited range of motion of the jaw
The causes of locked jaws are
- Stress
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Excessive chewing
- Teeth grinding
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Tetanus
- Facial trauma
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
- Infections
- Medications
Teeth Feel Tight after Shifting
Shifting of teeth may make you feel tightness in your teeth. If any tooth gets shifted, the teeth along with it will remain very much compact and most of the time miss-aligned. There creates a lack of space in between two teeth. So, the teeth get tightened.
The most common reasons behind teeth shifting include:
- Periodontal disease
- Grinding your teeth
- Jaw bone changes
- Accommodating tooth loss
- Lip ageing
- Skipping a retainer
There is actually not much you can do if you see any potential causes stated above. There are some of the factors causing teeth shifts are out of your control.
Why do my Teeth Feel Tight When I Wake Up
It’s a very common scenario of teeth feeling tight after waking up. There are several causes of it, these includes:
- Night grinding or clenching
- Sinus infection
- Pregnancy
- Gum disease
- Nerve damage
- Smoking
- Sleep position
- Dehydration
- Acidic foods
- Overuse of mouthwash
- Frequently vomiting
It’s not a serious issue if you feel your teeth tight in the morning. The remedies for teeth pain in the morning are:
- Using oral care products for sensitive gums and teeth
- Keeping away from certain foods and drinks
- Giving up smoking
- Dipping cotton ball in clove oil
- Swishing salt water in the mouth
- Peppermint tea
- Placing an ice pack on the paining tooth
- Consulting with a dentist
Home Remedies
There might be several reasons behind your teeth feeling tight. No matter what the reason is, there are some remedies you can apply at home to make your teeth more healthy.
Salt Water Rinse:
Salt water can be an effective antiseptic to reduce inflammation. To reduce tooth tightness and pains it would be helpful if you could gargle with salt water daily.
To have a salt water rinse
- Add a half teaspoon of salt to a glass of lukewarm water and stir properly
- For up to 30 seconds, swish the solution around in your mouth
- Remove the solution and spit it out.
Desensitizing Toothpaste:
It contains compounds to reduce nerve ending to irritants. Potassium nitrate, one of the key ingredients stops sending the signal from nerve tissue to the brain.
Honey and Warm Water:
As an antibacterial agent, we can use honey for wound management. Apart from that, honey might help reduce pain, inflammation and swelling. It’s better to have one or two teaspoons of honey with lukewarm water for better results.
Turmeric:
Apart from cooking, turmeric can also be used for anti-inflammatory treatment. It has been good for acid reflux also. Besides, it has been used in ayurvedic treatment for ages.
Green Tea:
Green tea is a drink having lots of health benefits. In cancer prevention, green tea plays an active role because of it’s anti-inflammatory properties. Try having green tea in the morning to have an oral benefit.
Vanilla Extract:
It has an anticipating and pain-relieving property. Pour vanilla extract into a cotton ball and place it in your teeth to have a better result.
Prevention
There goes a saying, “ Prevention is better than cure”, so apart from using the home remedies, there are some preventions to keep your teeth healthier.
- Keeping oral hygiene
- Keeping teeth and mouth clean
- Scheduling a dental visit at least once every six months
- Limiting the amount of acidic foods and beverages
- Using a mouth guard at night
- Using a softer brush to prevent irritation
FAQs
Question: Why does my tooth feel like it’s being squeezed?
Answer: Sometimes, gas is trapped inside a tooth, which feels as if it’s being squeezed, at the same time, causing pain. It normally happens with the people dealing with pressure change, like underwater divers, pilots, skydivers, mountain climbers and so on. These changed pressure conditions often create this problem.
Question: What is causing the stiffness in my gums?
Answer: You might face tightness in your gums from brushing too hard or having improper flossing techniques. Gum diseases and infections might be another reason behind teeth stiffness.
Question: What are the causes of my bottom teeth feeling strange?
Answer: It may happen if you have sensitivity issues in your teeth. If your enamel level gets worn away you might face this type of situation. Our enamel level protects nerve tissues, if they are worn away or thinning down due to bacteria, teeth sensitivity might happen.
Question: Why do my teeth feel so much pressure?
Answer: Barodentalgia is a situation when you feel pain or pressure in your teeth due to pressure differences. It might happen if you work in an environment where atmospheric pressure changes from time to time.
Question: Why do my teeth feel tight and sensitive?
Answer: Anxiety or stress might be the reason behind it. Sometimes it happens due to earaches, headaches or tightness of the face. If the enamel wears away or your fillings get cracked, you might face sensitivity in your teeth.
Take Away
Actually, teeth feeling tight is not a big concern. There are a number of remedies you can apply at home to keep your teeth healthy. Apart from that taking necessary precautions and prevention might also help.
If the symptoms stay for a few days and do not go away with home remedies, it’s better to consult with professionals. It’s good to visit a dentist at least once every six months.
