You may find yourself clenching your jaw involuntarily during stressful times or while engaged in activities that require concentration. Or maybe your partner has told you that you grind your teeth and make unpleasant noises at night.
This grinding and clenching is known as bruxism, and people often make these movements in the mouth without even realizing it. Bruxism is more than just an annoying habit – if left untreated, it can lead to a variety of disturbing symptoms, including pain, trouble sleeping, and tooth damage.
The bite is quite powerful. Over time, many problems can be created. Bruxism is divided into two varieties: awake and asleep. While sleeping, people with bruxism can squeeze with a force of up to 150 kg.
Many people clench their teeth during the day. However, most of the damage and destruction occurs at night.
Why do people grind their teeth?
Although psychological, genetic and physical factors can play a role in bruxism, the underlying cause is not entirely clear.
Stress, and other strong emotions such as anger and frustration, as well as personality type , play a role . An increase in bruxism-related problems is seen during the Christmas season, which can be a stressful time.
It might be that there is something a little unsatisfying about biting, in the same way that some people chew ice or chew gum or bite their nails.
Sometimes in a stressful situation you want something crunchy. People tend to forget that every tooth has a nerve. When you put that pressure on your teeth, there is feedback in the brain that gives you some kind of relief.
Other risk factors include age (it is more common in children than adults), family members with bruxism, and certain substances and medications, such as antidepressants, smoking, and alcohol use.
What effects does bruxism cause on the body?
Your teeth and fillings wear out faster
There is only one time when your teeth should touch, and that is when you are eating.
When you are not chewing food, your teeth should not touch. When teeth touch, either by clenching or grinding them, accelerated wear of the teeth occurs.
The edges of the teeth, along with the tips of the cusps, will become worn and flat. And things can start to break down – bruxism can lead to chipped fillings, fractured teeth, and crowns that become damaged or come off the tooth.
Your teeth can feel sensitive too
Bruxism can cause tooth sensitivity: Eating hot or cold foods, as well as sweet foods, can be uncomfortable and painful. This is the result of the wear of the protective enamel, exposing parts of the tooth (such as dentin) that are more sensitive.
The teeth can even become sensitive to air. There are people who run outside and cannot stand the wind blowing in their face because their teeth are so sensitive.
Or people may even get chills down their spines when toothbrush bristles scrape the surface of eroded teeth.
Your head and face may hurt
Bruxism can cause headaches and facial pain. Some people will have earaches.
Some of the muscles you use to open and close your mouth and chew food connect to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the jaw to the skull. Bruxism puts pressure on the TMJ. As a result, you may feel jaw pain and pain in front of your ears. Pressure on this joint from bruxism can also lead to TMJ disorders.
Bruxism is a sign and symptom of a TMJ disorder, but they are not the same. Addressing bruxism can prevent it from progressing to a more serious condition.
If you have a TMJ disorder, you may hear a clicking or clicking sound when you open or close your mouth, or you may not be able to open your mouth fully.
Your dream could suffer
Bruxism can be a red flag for sleep apnea . This condition is characterized in that a person's breathing stops and starts during sleep.
People who clench or grind their teeth during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring or sleep apnea.
A third of obstructive sleep apnea patients also sleep with bruxism, according to a summer 2019 study in the Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache.
So there may be some kind of association between sleep apnea and bruxism, although there is no cause and effect. That is, just because the two conditions are associated does not indicate that bruxism causes sleep apnea, or vice versa.
It can also affect your partner's sleep
If you have sleep bruxism, your partner may be the first to notice.
It is very loud when someone grinds their teeth next to someone. And the sounds are not pleasant. As with snoring, when you grind your teeth, it can make it difficult for your bed partner to fall asleep or fall asleep.
How to stop clenching your teeth?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for bruxism. But dentists have many treatment tactics.
Wear a mouth guard
Mouth guards or bite splints are the recommendations for bruxism.
For many, this will help. It does not stop or cure bruxism, but it does protect teeth from dying. And it also alleviates the symptoms that accompany bruxism, such as muscle pain, tooth damage, and TMJ problems.
Over-the-counter mouth guards are available at drug stores. These boil and bite options are pretty easy to use; Although the most beneficial is the one you can get at your dentist, which will be made of a harder acrylic material.
If you find a night protector effective, you'll want to make wearing it part of your nighttime routine.
Change the way you hold your mouth and jaw
For people who clench and grind their jaw while awake, it helps to become aware of the habit and adjust your behavior.
To do this, you will have to be good at identifying the signs that you may be involved in bruxism. As soon as you feel tension in your muscles, it is a sign that you should relax a bit.
The general rule of thumb is that when you're not eating (or speaking), you'll want your mouth closed, your teeth wide apart, and your tongue tucked behind your front teeth.
Reduce stress
Stress is a risk factor for bruxism, so it is recommended to adopt tactics to reduce your stress level. Consider mindfulness meditation. Therapy can also be helpful for people with anxiety-related bruxism.
Consider medications
If the grinding causes pain, such as headaches and face pain, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen , is recommended .
Your dentist may also recommend muscle relaxants or botox injections. And if one of your medications triggers bruxism as a side effect, it's a good idea to ask your doctor to recommend a different medication.
Make some changes to your diet
There is an association between grinding teeth and drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and consuming caffeine, according to an August 2016 systematic review in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Therefore, it may be helpful to cut down on caffeine and alcohol before bed.
You should also avoid chewing gum. And if you have difficulty chewing or opening your mouth comfortably, it is advisable to eat a soft food diet (think mashed potatoes, bananas, etc.) so that your muscles have time to recover.
