Do you grind your teeth when you are nervous? Or do you find yourself clenching your teeth during the day? Or perhaps do you do it when you are asleep? If your response is a resounding yes, then you could be suffering from bruxism.
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding are common, and approximately one in three people suffer from bruxism. This habit is not friendly to your teeth and can come with other complications that can harm your oral health. You might deal with jaw issues, neck pain, toothaches, and even headaches.
Habitually grinding, clenching, or gnashing your teeth is known as bruxism. There are scenarios when you may unconsciously grind, clench, or gnash your teeth when you are awake, referred to as awake bruxism.
On the other hand, some people grind or clench their teeth when they are asleep. This is known as sleep bruxism.
In most cases, mild bruxism may not need treatment. But, some people may need treatment since it might lead to damaged teeth, temporomandibular joint disorder, among other issues.
But if you have sleep bruxism, you may not know that you are suffering from the condition until certain complications arise. Therefore, you may need to know the symptoms associated with bruxism to get the care you need from our dentist.
Your chewing or grinding force is usually immense. Therefore, when you habitually grind your teeth, you put a lot of pressure on the tissues, muscles, and other surrounding structures. So, you can peel your eyes for the following symptoms:
The exact cause of bruxism is not yet fully understood. However, it can be a combination of psychological, physical, and genetic factors. Some of the causes of bruxism can be:
Awake bruxism usually arises due to emotions such as frustration, anger, stress, or even tension. Or it might be a coping mechanism during deep concentration.
On the other hand, sleep bruxism is more of a sleep-related movement disorder. In most cases, grinding your teeth while you are asleep may be associated with arousals during sleep. In other words, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, which causes snoring and breathing pauses.
Toothaches and tension-type headaches can disrupt your way of life. So, if you experience the symptoms above, reach out to our dentist.
When you visit us, our dentist will perform exams to find out the exact cause of bruxism. If major sleep issues cause bruxism, then you may be referred to a sleep specialist. However, treatment may be as follows:
You may also need to try the following strategies:
Medications can also help deal with bruxism, such as:
If you have bruxism, our dentist can help. Contact us at Golnick Pediatric Dentistry to schedule an appointment.