Danta Gharshana): Ayurvedic Treatment, Causes & Natural Remedies

Waking with a sore jaw, or hearing from a partner that you grind your teeth at night, is a common complaint. Ayurveda calls teeth grinding Danta Gharshana: Danta means teeth and Gharshana means grinding or rubbing.

Our sources describe it as bone tissue imbalance (Asthi Dhatu Dushti). Asthi Dhatu is the bone tissue, one of the seven body tissues (dhatus) in Ayurveda, and the teeth belong to it.

What makes the Ayurvedic view distinctive is that it looks past the jaw. In adults, teeth grinding during sleep may point to deep-seated anger and fear. In children, it can be caused by intestinal worms.

This lens adds to, rather than replaces, what a dentist will tell you about protecting your teeth.

Our sources do not divide teeth grinding into Vata, Pitta and Kapha types. Instead they describe the underlying tissue imbalance and two different causes depending on age.

The Tissue Involved

Teeth grinding during sleep is considered vitiation of bone tissue (Asthi Dhatu Dushti). The Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles links the condition to Asthi Dhatu.

In Adults: Deep-Seated Emotions

In adults, grinding during sleep may indicate deep-seated anger and fear that are not being processed during the day.

In Children: Intestinal Worms

In children, teeth grinding can be caused by intestinal worms. This is worth raising with a doctor, who can test for and treat worms.

Since our sources describe causes by age rather than by dosha, use the checklist that matches whose teeth are grinding.

Adult Pattern

• Grinding happens during sleep
• You recognise ongoing anger or fear that feels unresolved

Your approach: try the bedtime rice and sesame oil routine below, and give attention to the emotional side.

Child Pattern

• A child grinds their teeth at night
• There may be other signs of intestinal worms, such as itching around the bottom

Your approach: see a doctor to check for worms before relying on home remedies, and read the red flags section.

Our sources do not link a specific herb to teeth grinding. The Ayurvedic remedy they describe uses two kitchen ingredients instead.

Uncooked Basmati Rice

Chewing half a teaspoon of uncooked basmati rice before bed is the first step of the bedtime routine. It is described as part of a practice that helps eliminate teeth grinding during deep sleep.

Sesame Oil

After brushing, you hold a mouthful of warm sesame oil for five minutes. The full method is in the external treatments section.

Classical formulations (Yogas) are multi-ingredient recipes from the Ayurvedic texts, and Panchakarma (the five cleansing procedures) is Ayurveda's set of intensive detox therapies.

Our sources do not name any classical formulation for teeth grinding, and they do not describe a Panchakarma protocol for it. We are not listing any.

The approach our sources do describe is a simple bedtime routine with uncooked basmati rice and warm sesame oil, covered in the herbs and external treatments sections. A practitioner can advise whether anything further suits you.

In Ayurveda, daily routine is the foundation of care. For teeth grinding, our sources point to a bedtime ritual and to the emotional root.

A Bedtime Routine

• Chew half a teaspoon of uncooked basmati rice.
• Brush your teeth.
• Hold warm sesame oil in your mouth for five minutes, then spit out most of it.

Attend to Anger and Fear

In adults, our sources link grinding during sleep to deep-seated anger and fear. Finding a way to process these during the day, whether through talking, rest or a calming practice you already trust, addresses the root rather than just the jaw.

Ayurveda's external therapies include medicated pastes (Lepa), oils (Taila) and fomentation (Sweda). For teeth grinding, the relevant one is an oil held in the mouth.

Warm Sesame Oil Hold

1. Before bed, chew half a teaspoon of uncooked basmati rice, then brush your teeth.
2. Warm some sesame oil until comfortably warm, not hot.
3. Take a mouthful and hold it for five minutes.
4. Swish, then spit out most of the oil, leaving a small amount in the mouth.

This practice is described as helping eliminate teeth grinding during deep sleep. It is a version of oil pulling. Do not swallow the oil you spit out.

Dentists assess teeth grinding by looking for wear on the teeth and jaw tenderness, and often recommend a night guard to protect the teeth.

Our sources do not include modern research on teeth grinding or on the rice and sesame oil routine, so we will not summarise studies or quote figures.

One clear parallel: Ayurveda links adult grinding to deep-seated anger and fear, and modern dentistry also commonly connects night-time grinding with stress.

Teeth grinding is usually not dangerous, but it can damage teeth and sometimes signals something that needs checking. See a dentist or doctor if:

• Your teeth are chipped, worn, loose or newly sensitive
• You have ongoing jaw pain, clicking, or difficulty opening your mouth
• A child grinds their teeth and has itching around the bottom, tummy pain or poor weight gain, which can point to worms
• Grinding comes with snoring or pauses in breathing during sleep

Our sources list no drug interactions for this routine. Oil holding is not suitable for young children who might swallow or choke on the oil.