Bruxism – What is it?

Bruxism is the involuntary or habitual gnashing, grinding, or clenching of teeth while you are asleep. If you are experiencing Bruxism, then you are more likely to have other sleep disorders as well, like snoring and sleep apnea. If the Bruxism is mild, there may be no treatment required, but if frequent and severe then bruxism can cause jaw disorders, headaches, and severely damaged teeth.

Bruxism occurs when you sleep, making it extremely difficult to know when it has become a problem or even when you are grinding your teeth while you sleep. Common signs and symptoms of bruxism include:

• Teeth grinding or clenching loud enough to wake your sleep partner
• Flattened, cracked, chipped, or loose teeth
• Worn down tooth enamel
• Increased tooth pain or sensitivity
• A tired, tight, or locked jaw
• Pain or soreness in the jaw, face, or neck
• Intense pain feeling like an earache
• A persistent headache from your temples
• Damage from chewing on the inside of your cheek
• Poor sleep due to disruptions

What causes it?

Currently, doctors do not fully understand what causes bruxism but believe it could be a combination of physical, psychological, and genetic factors.

However, studies have found that these factors increase your risk of bruxism:

• Stress – Lots of stress throughout the day can lead to teeth grinding as can anger and frustration.
• Bruxism is most common in young children and typically dissipates in adults.
• Personality type – Having an ultra-aggressive, competitive, or hyperactive personality may increase your risk of bruxism.
• Family members with bruxism – It is common for bruxism to occur in families. If one member has bruxism, then other members of the family may have it too or they may have a history of bruxism.
• Other disorders – Bruxism has been found to be associated with some mental health and medical disorders, such as dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, epilepsy, night terrors, sleep apnea, ADHD, and Parkinson’s disease.

Possible solutions

The majority of adults do not grind or clench their teeth enough to require medication.  However, if bruxism persists in adults and the problem is severe, treatment options include dental approaches, therapies, and medications to prevent further damage to the teeth and to relieve pain in the jaw along with other discomforts.

Reducing stressors in your life, if you are an adult with bruxism, is the best way to combat this disorder and preserve your teeth. Practicing relaxation strategies like meditation may help. Another simpler fix could be to adjust your mouth and jaw to the proper position to discourage teeth grinding. You can discuss with your dentist what the proper positioning is and ways to practice it.

In severe cases your dentist may suggest:

• Splints and mouth guards – Designed to keep your teeth separated and stop them from grinding together.
• Dental correction – In severe cases with extreme wear on teeth, once it has become too painful to chew and eat food, a dentist may reconstruct sensitive teeth with new crowns.

Why get treatment?

Usually, treatment is not necessary for mild to moderate cases, but treatment is important if you are experiencing a severe case of bruxism. If left untreated it can lead too:

• Flattened, cracked, chipped and super sensitive teeth
• Tension-type headaches
• Severe facial or jaw pain

Also if Bruxism is continually disrupting your sleep and leaving you fatigued during the day, it can be a sign of a more serious sleeping disorder like sleep apnea. If your results also indicate sleep apnea issues, then you should take the needed steps to determine the correct course of action for treatment by scheduling an appointment with your personal physician or one of our Board Certified Sleep Physicians as soon as possible.