What is Bruxism?
The habit of grinding, gnashing, grating, or clenching the teeth is termed bruxism, and millions of adults and children are affected by this condition. While its exact cause is unknown, most experts believe that bruxism can occur as a response to increased psychological stress. Bruxism is considered both a medical and a dental problem because it affects both the teeth as well as the structure near it including the head.
Factors affecting Bruxism.
Drinking alcohol and taking certain medications such as antidepressants may worsen the bruxism. Certain disorders are accompanied by bruxism. Malocclusion that is improper alignment of the teeth may also play a causative role or may determine the severity of symptoms related to bruxism. Bruxism may develop in children as a response to a cold or other infection and are more likely to develop it when their parents are affected. Some studies show that persons whose personalities may be described as compulsive, controlling, precise, or aggressive have an increased incidence of bruxism.
Since grinding of teeth often occurs during sleep, most people are unaware that they grind their teeth. However, a dull, constant headache or sore jaw is a telltale symptom of bruxism. Many times people learn that they grind their teeth only on telling by their loved one who hears the grinding at night. If you suspect that you may be grinding teeth or bruxism, consult the dentist who can examine your mouth and jaw for signs of bruxism, such as jaw tenderness, abnormal wear, and gum recession.
Chronic teeth grinding can result in a fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth in some cases. Chronic grinding can severely wear down the teeth. In that situation treatment like bridges, crowns, root canal, implants, partial dentures, and even complete dentures may be needed. Severe grinding of teeth not only results in tooth loss, but also affect your jaws, contribute in hearing loss, cause or worsen TMD/TMJ, and even change the appearance of your face.
The dentist can fix an acrylic mouth guard to protect the teeth from grinding during sleep. If the reason for bruxism is stress, then try to reduce the stress by consulting your doctor, attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program and or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are some of the options that are available.
Some other tips to help you stop teeth grinding include:
- Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
- Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.
- Do not chew pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows the jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind the teeth.
- Train yourself not to clench or grind the teeth. If you notice that a tendency of clenching and grinding during day time develops, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
- Allow to relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.