Teeth Grinding: Everything You Need to Know (Bruxism)

It's common for people to grind their teeth during sleep. This action of teeth grinding is termed bruxism.

Nocturnal bruxism is the type of bruxism that happens while asleep at night. However, sometimes people subconsciously grind their teeth or clench their jaw while awake — a phenomenon termed awake bruxism.

Join us as we walk you through the various bruxism causes, its dangers, how you can detect it, and management/therapy.

What Makes People Grind Their Teeth?

Stress and anxiety are among the common causes of teeth grinding. However, sometimes it can occur due to some malformations of the teeth like bite problems, necessitating the need to visit a dentist. While transparent teeth aligners can fix grinding caused by crooked teeth or maligned teeth, others might require attention from an orthodontist.

More particularly, bruxism that occurs while sleeping is most likely due to sleep disorders such as apnea.

Dangers of Teeth Grinding

Tooth cracking, loosening, or even tooth loss can be a side effect of frequent teeth grinding. There’s a high chance of the teeth reducing to stubs in some cases. These events may necessitate bridges, crowns, root canals, or dentures.

While grinding your teeth can lead to tooth loss, it can also damage your jaws and distort the form of your face.

How to Know You Grind Your Teeth While Sleeping

It’s pretty easy to tell if you grind your teeth while sleeping. This is because grinding your teeth all night might cause some unpleasant side effects when you wake up, such as an ongoing headache or painful jaws. In light of this, you might want to look out for these symptoms.

How to Stop Teeth Grinding

So, you just discovered that you grind your teeth at night and want to put an end to it but aren’t sure of how to go about it? The following measures can help manage/prevent bruxism, preventing your teeth from damage.

Relieve Yourself of Stress

Research links teeth grinding to mental health issues like stress, depression, and anxiety in most persons. If you grind your teeth because of any of these reasons, stress-reduction strategies like yoga, deep breathing, and massage may be of help.

Use Dental Mouthguards

These are dental splints designed to help those who suffer from bruxism while they sleep. When you sleep, these mouthguards protect your teeth since they’re cushioned and don't scrape against one other. It’s a very effective and stress-free method of managing nocturnal bruxism. It's possible to get dental mouth guards through a pharmacy or a dentist's office.

Custom-made mouthguards can help protect your teeth if you suffer from sleep bruxism. As a bonus, they may help alleviate jaw tightness as well. A variety of thicknesses are available, and each one is tailored to the shape and size of your jaw. These mouthguards are more comfortable to use than other variants (e.g., plastic over-the-counter nightly mouthguards) because they are softer.

Undergo Corrective Surgical Procedures

When teeth grinding results from bite problems, reductive coronoplasty—a dental procedure performed to reduce the height and shape of the teeth—is a suitable means of resolving it. This procedure is done to level the teeth biting surface.

Some patients may need further surgery known as an "additive coronoplasty" to strengthen their teeth. Your dentist can do either procedure, so consider reaching out to them if you opt for surgical corrective measures.

Psychological Treatment

Sometimes, teeth grinding isn’t associated with any malformations of the teeth or any form of stress — it may just be a bad habit.

Biofeedback, a form of psychotherapy, is an excellent means of managing teeth grinding resulting from bad habits. It's a method that helps people recognize and change their bad habits. Notably, it can cure both awake and nocturnal bruxism.

Namely, a biofeedback therapist may train your jaw muscle movements for better control.

When Is the Right Time to Seek Help?

If you notice that you grind your teeth frequently or have any other symptoms that suggest bruxism, see a dentist right away. They can know if you grind your teeth by looking at the wear on your teeth. They'll also be able to check your teeth’ alignment and bite.

In some cases, your dentist may recommend that you see a physician to treat an underlying condition.

Wrap Up

If you suffer from teeth grinding beyond your control, there are several steps that you can take to put a stop to it, even if it’s a bad habit.

If your bruxism results from poor alignment of your teeth, then Linea Clear has got you covered. With our transparent teeth aligners designed to correct alignment problems while retaining your good looks, you’re assured of a perfect smile as well as a sound sleep devoid of bruxism’s ill effects.

The first step to attaining an aligned set of teeth that eliminates teeth grinding is to fill our free e-consultation form. Our experienced dental professionals will take it up from here. Alternatively, you can contact us for inquiries if you’re unsure about whether this is the proper procedure for your condition, and we’ll be sure to respond in due time.

FAQ

What do I have to do to stop my bruxism?

Apart from engaging in stress-reduction strategies, wearing dental mouthguards, undergoing corrective surgical procedures and psychological treatment, here are other beneficial tips to help prevent bruxism:

• Restrict or avoid the use of caffeinated foods and beverages, such as colas and chocolate

• Stay away from alcoholic drinks because grind intensity increases with alcohol consumption

• Avoid chewing on pencils and other non-food items. When you chew gum, you train your jaw muscles to clench, increasing the likelihood of bruxism.

• Relax your jaw muscles at night by placing a warm towel on your cheek in front of your earlobe.

Do children grind their teeth?

Adults aren't the only ones that suffer from teeth grinding. When children’s permanent teeth begin to erupt, they’re very likely to grind their teeth. This usually occurs when they’re asleep, although it might occasionally occur when awake.

There’s no known cause for teeth grinding in children. However, wrongly positioned teeth or lack of contact between the upper and lower teeth are possible causes.