Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding | Woodshore Family Dentistry
Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding is a condition in which you keep grinding your teeth and teeth clenching all the time. It can be caused by both physiological or psychological causes, which is why diagnosis is difficult.
Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding
Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding is a condition in which you keep grinding your teeth and teeth clenching all the time, even in your sleep. Some people largely suffer from bruxism teeth grinding when they’re awake due to stress-related reasons. Some people suffer from nocturnal or nighttime teeth grinding.
If you suffer from mild bruxism, you have nothing to worry about. But if bruxism teeth grinding persists, then you need to seek dental bruxism treatment because it can eventually lead to issues like severe headaches, toothaches, and even TMD.
Bruxism teeth grinding can happen for various reasons, both physiological and psychological. As such, the dentist has to diagnose and understand the root cause of teeth grinding before curating a treatment plan. Please continue reading for a detailed discussion of bruxism/ teeth grinding and how to stop grinding teeth permanently.
Complications of Teeth Grinding
Most people don’t really seek treatment for bruxism teeth grinding because they don’t think it’s an issue or they underestimate the harm it can do. The following are some of the possible complications of bruxism teeth grinding.
- Temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are the points located on either side of the head and they connect the jaws to the rest of the face. These joints facilitate all jaw-related movements. However, sustained bruxism can place great pressure on these joints, which can lead to temporomandibular joints disorder (TMD), which can result in jaw rigidity, swollen face, jaw locking, severe headaches, and other issues.
- Dental injuries and fractures that can damage your tooth’s enamel or damage your dental appliances like dental crowns, bridges, and dental implants.
- Constant teeth grinding can also lead to insomnia because you don’t get enough restful sleep.
Symptoms of Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding
Are you confused about whether you’re actually suffering from bruxism teeth grinding? The following are some of the primary symptoms of bruxism to look out for.
- Constant teeth clenching.
- Grinding your teeth constantly, either during the day or at night. Sleep related bruxism may even be loud enough that others can hear it.
- Chipped or fractured teeth due to the constant teeth clenching.
- The tooth enamel can wear away, which can expose the dentin and lead to tooth sensitivity.
- TMJ bruxism, which is a condition in which your jaw muscles get damaged and you suffer from tightened jaws.
- Soreness in your facial or jaw muscles.
- Earaches and headaches.
- Sleep related bruxism can lead to insomnia.
What Causes Bruxism?
It’s hard to narrow down the exact root cause of bruxism teeth grinding. You may suffer from teeth grinding due to various physiological, psychological, or even genetic factors. The following are the leading risk factors for bruxism.
- Stress: Teeth grinding and bruxism are often caused by anxiety, frustration, stress, anger, and other related issues. These issues cause you to clench your teeth even when you’re not aware.
- Age: Young children often suffer from bruxism teeth grinding, but this may go away over time.
- Aggression: If you’re generally aggressive or highly competitive, then you’re likely to induce more stress upon yourself, which can lead to bruxism teeth grinding.
- Medications: Bruxism may be a side effect of various medications and drugs, including psychiatric medications. Several psychiatric medications and drugs lead to bruxism as a side effect.
- Substance Use: Over-consumption of drugs and tobacco can also lead to bruxism.
- Genes: Sleep related bruxism often runs in the family genes.
- Underlying Conditions: In various situations, your bruxism may just be a symptom of a larger underlying disorder like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, sleep apnea, etc.
How to Stop Myself from Grinding my Teeth in my Sleep? How to Treat Teeth Grinding?
Most dentists check for signs of dental bruxism during your regular dentist appointments. If you do have any symptoms of bruxism, the dentist will recommend coming for regular dental appointments so they can track the progression of those symptoms and diagnose bruxism teeth grinding. If you do have bruxism teeth grinding, the dentist will first ask some basic questions regarding your sleeping habits, stress levels, and symptoms to identify the root cause of bruxism. This may require several sessions as well. the dentist will recommend the following treatments to either cure teeth grinding altogether or minimize the impact of teeth grinding.
Mouth Guard for Grinding
Mouth guard doesn’t treat teeth grinding, but it is the most effective means of protecting your mouth from the effects of teeth grinding. These are soft appliances that you have to wear in your mouth. So when you start teeth clenching, your teeth will remain separated and they won’t gnash against each other, which will minimize the adverse effects of teeth grinding. This can also be used as a TMJ bruxism treatment.
Dental Correction
As previously mentioned, sustained bruxism teeth grinding can damage your teeth. It can lead to enamel wearing off, tooth chipping, fractures, and other issues. If that’s the case, the dentist will first fix the dental issues caused by bruxism and then they may surgically alter your chewing surfaces to control the damage caused by bruxism.
Medications
Medications are largely ineffective as permanent solutions or treatments for bruxism so you shouldn’t rely on them. However, a dentist may recommend some medications to relax your muscles or relieve some of your stress, which can temporarily control your bruxism. But you should only go for this if you’re suffering from severe bruxism and you’re already seeking other treatments.
Behavioral and Psychological Changes
Bruxism is often caused by psychological issues like aggression, stress, anxiety, etc. In that case, the dentist may refer you to sleep specialists who can counsel you and help with behavior modification to treat bruxism. The following are some psychological methods of treating bruxism teeth grinding.
- Stress Management: Stress is often the leading cause of bruxism and teeth grinding. This can be controlled through stress management exercises and counseling.
- Behavioral Changes: Some people suffer from bruxism because of their posture and how they position their mouth and jaws. Counselors can give you exercises for proper jaw and mouth movement that you can practice and gradually change your bruxism-causing habits.
- Biofeedback: Bruxism can also be controlled if you understand how to control your muscles. Biofeedback refers to devices and methods that help you control your muscles, thereby treating bruxism.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
This place is great! Everyone is so kind and very professional. The dentist is awesome also. He takes the time to listen and gives you all the options with no pressure. They are also great with kids here. My 10 and 3 year old also do well when they come here. I highly recommend this place for anyone who wants great care for their teeth.
Laura H.
The entire office is very friendly. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. I really appreciated the extra time each Doctor took to review my medical history. Very gentle, kind and confident dental care.
Paula H.
I can’t say enough about my experience at this dental office! The entire staff was very friendly, from the second I walked in to the time I walked out. The doctor took the time to explain all that was going on, and he was very gentle in his approach which is what I like. Highly recommend this place!
Shaan
Me and my wife had been looking for a new dentist and we finally found them. This group of people are great. Extremely courteous and good at what they do. I couldn’t be more pleased with our new dentists and would highly recommend them to anyone.
Paul S.
The staff was so friendly and helpful. You can tell they really care about their patients and love what they do. They all made the experience really easy & comfortable. Highly recommend!
Kurstie P.
Hadn’t been to the dentist in 3 years because I just didn’t like it… tried this one out. Very kind and professional staff, friendly, outgoing, made me feel welcome. Definitely would recommend this dentist
Meena D.
The office is very clean and my daughter loved the tv in the ceiling to watch while her work was being done. Thanks again to the staff and doctor for making her feel comfortable.
Michael J.
Great customer service from check in to check out! It was my daughter’s first dental appointment and the staff made her very comfortable!
Santanna W.
The staff was very welcoming and friendly! Dr. Pattni explained my plan thoroughly and made sure I was comfortable during my treatment which I really appreciated. They also perform orthodontic work at affordable prices which is great because now I only have to go to one office for all of my dental needs. Not to mention the decor, ambiance, and state-of-the-art equipment is truly exceptional! Will definitely be coming back!
Anjani P.
FAQs About Bruxism/ Teeth Grinding
Is there a Permanent Solution to Bruxism?
Treating bruxism is a long-term process and can’t be done quickly over a single or a few sessions. The following are some of the permanent solutions to bruxism:
- Learning exercises to better control your jaw muscles and movements to control bruxism.
- Undergoing therapy or counseling to deal with aggression, stress, etc.
While these treatments are underway, you can wear a mouth guard to minimize the damage caused by bruxism.
How to Stop Grinding Teeth Permanently
At Woodshore Family Dentistry, we help you identify the root cause of bruxism teeth grinding and put you on the correct recovery path to deal with it. For more information, please schedule your bruxism teeth grinding consultation today.