What is Bruxism?
Bruxism (teeth clenching or grinding) is an unconscious action that occurs mainly at night. A person with bruxism produces loud and unpleasant sounds during sleep, which they are not aware of and which are first noticed by another person.
What are the Causes of Bruxism?
The most common causes of bruxism are:
- Stress
- Emotional strain
- Fatigue
- Fear
- Incorrect bite (malocclusion)
- Taking certain medications (antidepressants)
- Teething in children
- Aggressive personality type.
Because bruxism occurs unconsciously, the forces that muscles exert on the teeth are much stronger than those that occur during chewing. This leads to serious consequences for the teeth and their supporting structures.
Symptoms of Bruxism
When it comes to teeth grinding, the most common symptoms are:
- Flattened chewing surfaces of teeth
- Enamel damage, enamel cracks
- Gum recession
- Damage to the inner side (mucosa) of the cheeks
- TMJ damage, joint pain
- Tooth Sensitivity
- Reduced bite height, improper tooth position
- Muscle pain
- Ear pain
- Headaches
- Tension, nervousness.
Types of Bruxism
When it comes to teeth grinding or clenching, there are two types of bruxism: conscious (while awake) and unconscious (during sleep). If it is conscious teeth grinding, this condition is called bruxomania.
Risk Factors
Bruxism most often occurs during periods of great stress or fatigue. Clenching or grinding teeth can be transient and does not pose a significant risk to oral health.
Possible Complications
Bruxism can lead to serious damage to the teeth, especially if a person clenches and grinds their teeth for many years. This damage can occur on individual teeth or all teeth, and in the most severe cases, it can lead to a reduction in bite height.
Bruxism in Children and Babies
Night teeth grinding sometimes occurs in children. It happens during periods when children have baby teeth or when there is a transition from baby to permanent teeth. Bruxism in children is a result of adapting to the significant changes occurring in their mouths due to tooth growth and transition. It is usually temporary.
How Do You Resolve Night Teeth Grinding?
Expect your dentist to ask you some questions, such as:
- When did you first notice the symptoms of bruxism?
- Do you grind your teeth constantly or occasionally?
- Have you noticed that teeth grinding intensifies or decreases in certain situations?
After an examination at the dental office and determining the cause of teeth grinding, bruxism therapy is devised. During the examination and with the help of an X-ray analysis, the dentist will be able to assess the consequences on the teeth and surrounding structures (gums, cheeks, joints). If the cause is an improper bite, orthodontic therapy or selective tooth grinding is necessary. The existing consequences of bruxism are treated conservatively (white composite fillings) or prosthetically (crowns, bridges).
The most important step in resolving this problem is making a night guard (silicone splint or nightguard). It is made based on a dental impression and is worn on one jaw during sleep. The goal is to cushion the forces that occur at night and prevent further tooth damage. Wearing a night guard is advised for patients with natural teeth as well as for those with ceramic crowns and bridges.
By wearing a silicone night guard, you will protect your teeth and any restorations on them. Depending on the degree of teeth grinding, it is possible to make a softer or harder splint for sleeping. For patients with severe bruxism, the splint will gradually thin out and wear down.
Through a simple procedure at the dentist, it will be replaced with a new one, which is the point of wearing a night guard – to wear it out instead of your teeth.
For some patients, psychological counseling and changes in certain lifestyle habits, such as reducing stress, and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes before bedtime, are recommended. It is also possible to consult a sleep specialist who would further investigate whether the patient suffers from obstructive sleep apnea and how often they clench their teeth during sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best treatment for bruxism?
The quickest and simplest treatment is making a night guard. This immediately stops further tooth damage.
Does bruxism go away?
For some people, it can spontaneously go away after a stressful period in their life. For others, it is a chronic problem.
Why aggressive teeth grinding at night?
Aggressive teeth grinding is most often a result of psychological strain or excessive fatigue.
How to relax the jaw at night?
Since it is an involuntary and unconscious action, you cannot influence it yourself to relax your jaw during sleep. What you can do is make a night guard to prevent damage.
How to stop unconsciously clenching the jaw?
For severe bruxism, sometimes it is necessary to consult with a psychologist in addition to dental help.
How do I know if I grind my teeth?
If someone sleeps next to you, they will probably point out that you make noises at night by grinding your teeth.
If you sleep alone, you may notice in the morning that you wake up with some kind of tension in your teeth and jaw, and sometimes this feeling turns into tooth pain that disappears during the day.
When to see a dentist?
When you notice any of the mentioned symptoms of bruxism, it is necessary to see a dentist to prevent further damage.
