Bruxism: Avoiding Damage from the Daily Grind

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a hard to break habit that over time can cause irreversible damage to your teeth.

Types of Bruxism

Some patients suffer from awake bruxism, grinding and clenching their teeth during times of stress or anxiety. A far more common condition is sleep bruxism, where grinding and clenching occurs when the patient is sleeping.

Causes

Bruxism is most often a by-product of anxiety, stress or interrupted sleep. For some patients, poorly aligned teeth can also cause this condition.

Bruxism Symptoms

If you grind your teeth at night, you may wake up with a sore jaw or facial pain. Some patients complain of a headache located in their temples, while other patients have earaches. Patients with sleep bruxism are rarely aware that they grind their teeth, but they certainly notice the symptoms when they wake up. With awake bruxism, symptoms are typically felt later in the day.

Tips for Preventing Bruxism

Awake Bruxism

If you clench your jaw during daytime hours, do your best to be aware of this behaviour. If you’re able to link the behaviour to a stress source, remove the stressor if you can. If this is not possible, try some mindfulness or relaxation techniques to ease the stress.

Sleep Bruxism

To deal with sleep bruxism, stick to a consistent bedtime and create a pre-sleep relaxation routine to help you sleep better. Stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises can also help. In addition, limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption will help you sleep more soundly, lessening the chance that you will grind your teeth.

Dental Consequences

Without treatment, nearly all bruxism patients will deal with enamel loss, cavities, broken crowns and fractured teeth, affecting overall dental health and costing a significant amount of money. While clenching your teeth might seem like relatively harmless habit, you should address this behaviour promptly.

Treatment

Your dentist will perform an oral exam to determine if you grind your teeth. If you are diagnosed with bruxism, your dentist may recommend that you wear a mouth guard. The process for creating the mouth guard is relatively simple. Using technologies like plaster impressions or thermoplastics, your dentist can create a customized bite guard that covers your lower teeth, upper teeth or even both. The procedure is quick, and most patients find their guards relatively comfortable and easy to use. Also, dental plans will typically pay for most or all the cost of this procedure.

Consistency is Key

For the guard to work, you must wear the guard consistently while sleeping, or during daytime periods when you typically grind their teeth. Without consistent use, the guard will not adequately protect your teeth.

Contact Us

At Elite Care Dental, Dr. Jinda can help you address bruxism and bruxism-related dental issues. If you suspect that you have this condition, contact us today to book an appointment.