Teeth Grinding (or Bruxism)
Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, isn’t always harmful. Most people do grind their teeth together occasionally in sleep. But when it’s done often and on a regular basis, it can wear down the enamel, loosen teeth and cause a host of other dental complications. When we think of teeth grinding, we often think of someone that’s angry, frustrated or anxious. While stress can cause it, usually it occurs during sleep from things like a crooked or abnormal bite.
Some people may not even know that they grind their teeth because they’re asleep when the damage is being done. Signs that you might be suffering from teeth grinding include things like a headache that’s there when you wake up and persists, and a sore, aching jaw. Sore cheek muscles can also be a sign. Your dentist may also be able to look at your teeth and see signs of wear and tenderness from grinding.
Complications from Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding can actually wear down enamel. This can be minor or enough to irrevocably damage the teeth. Minor enamel wear can make your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay and can also cause your teeth to be sensitive to touch and temperature. Severe wear can result in a ground down tooth that needs to be covered in a crown or removed. Teeth grinding can also cause loose teeth, which can lead to tooth loss. In some cases, the pressure caused from teeth grinding can also crack or break teeth.
Severe cases of bruxism can cause complications beyond obvious dental problems. Existing jaw conditions like temporomandibular disorders can be made much worse (and if the condition doesn’t exist, teeth grinding can cause it). In the most extreme cases, the shape of the face can change from the continued pressure on the jaws and hearing problems can even develop.
Teeth Grinding Solutions
While you may not be able to prevent teeth grinding, you can minimize it and protect yourself from its effects. If you believe that the bruxism is stress-related, then taking steps to lower your stress can help. Getting regular exercise, eating right, and getting emotional and psychological help for the stress can make a difference. Stress that’s intense enough to cause problem teeth grinding probably has other physical effects that you want to prevent, so getting treatment could not only help your teeth but your whole well-being.
Limiting or eliminating caffeine from your diet can help. And cutting alcohol out completely can make a drastic difference. Rather than relaxing and grinding less after drinking alcohol, a person’s bruxism will typically become worse after drinking. Stop unnecessary chewing like chewing gum, your fingernails or pencils. And be aware how often you clench your teeth during the day so you can focus on relaxing the jaw muscles.
The best protection, even if you’re following these methods to reduce teeth grinding, is to wear a mouth guard when you sleep that prevents your teeth from grinding together. This won’t eliminate the pressure on your jaws that occurs with teeth grinding but it will protect your teeth.
