Have you ever stopped to think about how your jaw moves? Probably not, we all take these things for granted.
The vast majority or us haven't stopped to think that the teeth don't work in isolation but are part of a dynamic system, which also includes the jaw joints, the muscles of chewing and the muscles in the head and neck, all under the overall control of the brain.
When we close our teeth together they guide the jaw into a position we call habit bite. For most of us this position does not quite coincide with the ideal position for our jaw joints. Although out of balance it fortunately falls well within our range of tolerance.
Sometimes, however, but only for some people this imbalance between the habit bits and the ideal jaw position goes above our tolerance point. This means we overwork our muscles trying to get back in balance. We also put excessive strain on the joints. This is particularly common when we are under stress and many people develop grinding and clenching habits.
