Grinding your teeth is a bad habit that many people have without realizing it. Symptoms include pain in the jaw or difficulty opening the mouth.
Day or night, many of us grind or clench our teeth without even realizing it. Here they are three questions to ask yourself.
At least once a week:
- Do you feel pain in your temple, face, jaw or near your ear?
- feel pain when opening your mouth or chewing?
- Do you feel your jaw lock, click or get stuck?
If you answered “yes” at least once, you may be grinding or clenching your teeth (bruxism).
But why do we do it? And is there any way to stop? Let’s analyze.
What happens when you clench or grind your teeth?
Clenching or grinding your teeth it is involuntary. We unconsciously activate our chewing muscles, contracting or jutting our lower jaw and clenching our teeth or grinding them together.
Almost one in six people does this while sleeping and one in four while awake.
Grinding your teeth while sleeping produces a characteristic noise. (If you share a bed with someone, your partner can probably confirm this)
Is it bad?
Slight and occasional teeth grinding or clenching is not usually a problem.
But if you do it too often or too hard, this habit can cause various problems with your teeth, jaw joints and muscles, interrupt your sleep and contribute to tension headaches or earaches.
These problems can become painful and expensive to treat.
Over time, it can also fracture and crack your teeth.
Why do I grind or clench my teeth?
There is usually a combination of physical, mental and lifestyle factors.
You are more likely to grind and clench your teeth if:
- suffer from stress, anxiety and depression;
- taking certain medications, such as those used to treat schizophrenia, psychosis and depression;
- consume a lot of caffeine, nicotine and/or alcohol;
- your sleep is interrupted, including by unexpected noises, such as cell phone notifications.
There is also a strong link to sleep apneaa condition that interrupts regular breathing during sleep and deprives the brain and body of oxygen.
Low oxygenation triggers the release of stress hormones. These increase the heart rate and activate muscle spasms throughout the body, which can also increase teeth grinding and clenching.
Can my dentist identify this just by looking at my teeth?
Your dentist will usually review any health problems and medications. You may be asked if you experience jaw pain, headaches, difficulty chewing or jaw locking. You can also ask about your sleep experience.
In your mouth, your dentist will look for chipped or worn teeth or fillings.
Teeth with unusual wear can also be a acid reflux sign. This causes stomach acid to spill into the mouth, which softens the hard enamel that protects the tooth.
As a result, people who grind and clench their teeth and who also suffer from reflux tend to chipping and wearing teeth much faster.
Another common sign is white lines on the inside of the cheeks and scallop-shaped marks around the tongue. They form when the cheeks and tongue get stuck against the teeth when clenching or grinding them.
Other signs your dentist will look for include:
- receding or receding gums
- loose or unstable teeth
- teeth that have moved from their original position.
What can you do about it?
Grinding and grinding your teeth is highly controllable. Your healthcare professional can help you identify the causes and manage the symptoms.
Your doctor can review your medications and investigate possible underlying problemssuch as reflux, jaw arthritis, or sleep apnea.
You can also ask your doctor to evaluate you for sleep apnea and see if you need a polysomnography test.
This test is the gold standard for diagnosing sleep disorders, including teeth grinding and clenching.
To check whether the test is necessary, your doctor will ask you questions about your sleep experience, fatigue levels and whether you usually fall asleep during daily activities.
A physical therapist who specializes in jaw pain can help with joint blockageclicking or tension headaches with a combination of personalized exercises and stretches.
Pain relievers can also help.
Your dentist may recommend a night bite splint or occlusal splint to protect your teeth from wearreduce muscle tension and clicking in the jaw. These devices are made of acrylic or nylon, custom-made to fit your upper teeth – like a sports mouthguard, but smaller.
When these options do not relieve symptoms, some people may consider botox injections to block signals that control the movement of specific jaw muscles, reducing clenching and associated pain.
However, Botox is expensive and not effective for everyone. Furthermore, its effect is short-lived, requiring frequent visits to a neurologist or specialized dentist.
In summary
If you think you are grinding or clenching your teeth, it is best to talk to your doctor or dentist first.
But remember: physical therapy, bite plates, and pain relievers treat the consequences of teeth grinding and clenching, not the causes.
Therefore, it is also worth thinking about ways to reduce stress and develop good sleeping habits.
Some small adjustments to relax and unwind – such as reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption and keeping electronic devices out of the bedroom at night – can improve your health and help you avoid pain and expensive treatments.
