Teeth Grinding

How common is teeth grinding?
I think almost everyone does it at some point in their lives. Stress is a factor, and we often don't take time to relax. Our muscles become very tense. The tightening of the jaw muscles repeatedly when not eating causes the teeth to grind together. Most often the teeth move back and forth, but some people only tighten some of the muscles causing clenching rather than grinding. Both clenching and grinding of teeth is known as bruxism.

Bruxism is not done to the same extent everyday. Sometimes there are very active periods, and then periods during which no teeth grinding occurs. It is most often done at night, but some people find themselves grinding or clenching their teeth during the day. Many people become aware of it when they are driving. It often becomes a habit. Symptoms include:

• sore jaw muscles
• headaches, especially those that start within a few hours of waking
• sensitive teeth
• stuffiness or ringing in the ears
• stiff neck and/or facial pain
• light-headedness and/or nausea in severe cases
• there can even be no symptoms, or at least none that are recognized

Learn more about sensitive teeth

Why is teeth grinding, or bruxism, bad?
It can be very destructive to the teeth. There can be dramatic changes, such as when a tooth suddenly breaks, or subtle changes. When teeth wear slowly over time due to teeth grinding, a lot of the substance of the teeth can be lost. The outer enamel layer can be worn off, exposing the inner dentin layer of the tooth which can wear at a faster rate and is more prone to decay. It is also the sensitive part of the tooth, so bruxism can lead to increased tooth sensitivity. Teeth grinding can also lead to jaw joint or TMJ problems and changes in the bite.

What can be done?
Most often the treatment of choice for teeth grinding is some type of bite appliance. Often it may be done in conjunction with other therapies. The relationship between the muscles, the joints and the teeth must be studied to determine the best way to treat the problem in each instance. There are various schools of thought on the methods for treating bruxism and other TMJ disorders. Not every dentist will treat it the same way. The important point to remember is that whichever method a dentist uses, he or she has studied how to apply their knowledge. It is not the acrylic bite appliance that is the treatment, it is just a tool. The treatment is what your dentist does with the bite appliance, or other therapy.

The evidence that bruxism is occurring lies in the teeth. A thorough examination will reveal wear patterns on the teeth if the grinding has been going on long enough. Many times people are not aware that they have caused noticeable damage to their teeth. They tell the dentist that no one has told them that they make grinding noises when they sleep. Bruxism with tooth and joint damage can occur without making a sound at all. Don't think you can just tell yourself to stop grinding. That may work during the day, but how do you control what you do when you are sleeping? The protective mechanism that operates during waking hours to prevent you from putting excessive forces on the teeth does not function when you are sleeping. If it did, nobody would be able to cause damage, the body would just stop itself.

If you think you are grinding your teeth, you probably are. If you find yourself clenching or grinding during the day, you certainly are doing it at night. You owe it to yourself to find out if you are destroying your teeth when you sleep.

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