Teeth Grinding - Bruxism

BRUSHING UP ON BRUXISM (TEETH GRINDING)

OVERVIEW: Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a common condition affecting as many as half or more of the adult population. Even children sometimes grind their teeth. It can happen in the daytime or the nighttime, but it is during sleep that it causes the most problems. Grinding your teeth in your sleep can cause a continuous dull headache as well as damaging your teeth. While it can be difficult to tell if you do it yourself, your loved one who shares your bedroom probably knows, because they have probably seen you clenching your jaw or heard the sound of your teeth grinding during the night.

CAUSES: It is generally believed that the main cause of bruxism is psychological stress. People who grind their teeth are often those with driven, high-strung, perfectionistic types of personalities. Another reason some people grind their teeth is because their teeth are not aligned properly. Sometimes, pain, such as with an earache, causes a person to grind their teeth. This is particularly common in children. Dehydration can also cause you to grind your teeth in your sleep. For this reason, it is a good idea to give up alcohol if you suffer from bruxism, because alcohol dehydrates your body.

SYMPTOMS: In addition to hearing a person grinding their teeth in their sleep, there are other symptoms of bruxism you can watch out for. A person who grinds their teeth in their sleep is likely to have teeth that are damaged, with chipped enamel and even loosening of the teeth being possible complications. The mouth and teeth may become much more sensitive to changes in temperature. Pain in the face and a continuous headache are telltale signs of bruxism. Another symptom of bruxism is that of pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is the hinged joint of your jaw.

DIAGNOSIS: Bruxism is more likely to be diagnosed by your dentist than by your physician. Your dentist will notice that the surfaces of your teeth are flattened, indicating that you have been grinding them. A good evaluation will include examination of your jaws and ears to rule out other problems with earache or TMJ pain. Diagnosis will probably include some evaluation of the stress level and mental coping skills of the individual in question, since teeth grinding increases in frequency with stress.

TREATMENT OPTIONS: Treatment for bruxism should depend upon the cause of the teeth grinding. If the trouble seems to stem from misaligned teeth, braces could be the answer. In addition to possibly needing to have the teeth straightened, there will probably need to be some dental work done to undo the damage that has already been done to the tooth enamel. Since bruxism is closely related to emotional stress, some people have found relief through relaxation exercises or even hypnotherapy. It is sometimes necessary for the patient to wear a guard on their teeth to prevent them from being able to grind them during the night. Medications to relax a person before they go to sleep are sometimes used, but medications can have side effects and might not be the best answer.