Teeth grinding are known as jaw clenching or bruxism. It is a condition in which your jaw is achy and you will notice sudden popping or clicking in your jaw when you open and close your mouth when you wake up, this happens because you might be grinding your teeth at night. It is often related to stress or anxiety.
Teeth grinding is not usually a serious dental problem, but it can be severe if it can cause misalignment of teeth, which can lead to gum disease. You might also experience facial pain and headaches, and it can break your teeth.
Most people are not aware that they are grinding their teeth and clenching their jaw as it often happens during sleep or while you concentrating or under stress.
Symptoms of Teeth Grinding are –
• Disrupted sleep
• Earache
• Facial pain
• Headaches
• Pain and stiffness in the jaw joint and nearby muscles
• Tooth loss
• Teeth are worn, damaged or sensitive
Facial pain and headaches might disappear when you will stop grinding your teeth. Tooth loss or damage usually occurs in rare cases.
Teeth grinding can also appear in children after their baby teeth or adult teeth first appear, but it will stop after the adult teeth are fully formed. You should visit a GP if you are your child’s teeth grinding is affecting their sleep.
In tooth grinding case, you need to go to a dentist or GP (General Practitioner). For this, you need to find about the cause of your teeth grinding, if your teeth grinding is stress-related then you need to go see a GP. They’ll recommend you some ways to help manage your stress. If you examine no stress then you might need a dental treatment and also if your teeth are worn due to grinding so to avoid developing more problems, such as infection or a dental abscess it is better to go visit a dentist.
Treating Teeth Grinding –
• Mouth guard – Use a mouth guard or mouth splint to reduce the feeling of clenching or grinding your teeth. It will also reduce pain and prevent tooth breakage.
• Muscle-relaxation exercises
• Sleep hygiene
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be done to reduce stress and anxiety.
What causes Teeth Grinding?
• Teeth grinding are usually caused due to stress, anxiety or sleep problems.
• Teeth grinding can occur due to a side effect of taking certain medication like an antidepressant.
• Sleep Disorders
If you often snore or have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (a sleep disorder), you’re more likely to grind your teeth while you sleep. OSA also interrupts your breathing while you sleep.
You are more likely to grind your teeth if you do any of the following while you sleep –
1. Behave violently like kicking or punching
2. Experience hallucinations
3. Sleep paralysis
4. Talk or mumble
• Lifestyle
These factors make you more likely to grind your teeth-
- Drinking alcohol
- Smoking
- Using drugs, like cocaine
- having lots of caffeinated drinks, like tea or coffee (6 or more cups in a day)
