More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
What's the Big Deal About Grinding My Teeth?
Bruxism (grinding or clenching your teeth) is a common and usually unrecognized routine that occurs in both children and adults. It is the technical term for grinding and clenching that can lead to worn, crumbling teeth, chronic headaches and constant jaw pain. The challenge for both dentist and patients is to recognize the habit before irreversible damage occurs. Despite showing many symptoms, such as awakening with tired jaws and headaches, or flattened teeth and tooth pain, many people are unaware that they ever do it. There are different causes of bruxing, but a majority of the time it is simply a reaction to stress.
Most of the damage from clenching and grinding occurs while we sleep and are unaware. People can generate up to five times the force between their teeth while they sleep than they could normally do during the day. This creates a huge force at night.
Can Bruxism Cause Harm?
People who have otherwise healthy teeth and gums can clench so often and so hard that over time their teeth break, wear or become sensitive. They may experience jaw pain, tense muscles and headaches along with the damage to their teeth, existing dental work and gum and bone loss.
When a person has bruxism, the tips of the teeth look flat. The upper and lower teeth have worn areas that fit together like a puzzle. Teeth are worn down so much that the outer layer of enamel is rubbed off, exposing the second layer of tooth structure called dentin. When exposed, dentin may become sensitive. Often bruxers develop abfractions (notches) at the gum line as a result of the force. They may also experience pain their temporomandibular joint which can manifest itself as popping and clicking. In many instances, patients will develop indentations on the side of their tongue or white lines along their cheeks at the level of the teeth as other signs of clenching. They are likely to feel muscle tenderness and tension around the jaw joints after bruxing.
Stress and certain personality types are major factors in bruxism. Nervous tension, stress, anger, pain and frustration can trigger bruxing. You wouldn't believe the number of students I see with jaw pain around the stressful time of finals. People who are aggressive, competitive and hurried also may be at a greater risk for grinding their teeth.
During regular dental visits, your dentist will check for signs of bruxism. If the dentist notices signs, the severity of the condition will determine what is to be done. The condition may be observed over multiple visits to be sure the problem is ongoing before recommending and starting therapy.
Many people believe their teeth should be together at all times, but a relaxed mouth will have the tongue positioned slightly upward, the lips will be together, and the teeth will be apart. Just advising someone of this may be enough to change behavior and relieve discomfort. However, in many situations, the dentist will recommend a plastic mouth bite splint (night guard) that's worn to correctly position the jaws and absorb the force of biting.
In order to function properly, the bite splint must be precisely adjusted to the ideal position for your jaws and bite and may require several visits. The splint can prevent future damage to the teeth and often helps change the patient's destructive behavior. If you think you may clench or grind your teeth, call your dentist for a free consultation.
