Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism is the act of unconsciously grinding the teeth. More often than not, the sufferer grinds or clenches his or her teeth at night while sleeping. The condition can result in damage to the teeth, as well as the gums and surrounding area. Bruxism can also be responsible for morning headaches and jaw pain, and in extreme cases can cause the jaw to lock up and the jaw muscles to contract.

While nearly everyone clenches their teeth once in awhile, Bruxism is a more serious condition because it tends to occur unconsciously. Nighttime Bruxism can even be noisy enough to wake someone sleeping in the same room, and often results in a poor night's sleep.

Many adults with Bruxism do not realize they have the condition. The first symptoms tend to be soreness in the jaw area and unexplained headaches or earaches. If left unchecked, the condition can become more serious and there can be damage to the enamel of the teeth, as well as the surrounding gums.

In extreme cases, the jaw bone can even be damaged, and require invasive surgery to correct. But, thankfully, most cases of Bruxism do not progress to this level.

There is some evidence that sleep Bruxism is related to natural human development. Perhaps that is why it is not uncommon for preteen children to go through a stage of grinding their teeth at night.

Psychological causes can also be responsible for Bruxism. Suppressed anger and high levels of anxiety or unresolved conflict are suspected to be responsible for many cases of Bruxism. A high consumption of alcohol is also believed to cause the clenching and grinding in some cases, and new research suggests that allergies could also play a role in developing Bruxism.

The main symptoms of Bruxism include soreness in the gums, unexplained facial pain, increased sensitivity in the teeth, headaches, tight or sore jaw muscles, earaches, and worn enamel on the top and sides of the teeth, especially the back molars.

While most reported cases of Bruxism are not severe and may even fade away on their own, sometimes it is necessary to seek out treatment for the condition. One of the most common ways to prevent the grinding is to wear a custom fitted night guard created by your dentist.

These types of appliances do not "cure" the Bruxism, but can prevent the sufferer from doing greater damage to the enamel of the teeth, the gums and jaw. While some people find it difficult to sleep wearing a night guard, they usually adapt to them within a week or so and are able to sleep peacefully wearing the guard afterward.

But because Bruxism is often a psychologically caused condition, cognitive behavioral therapy is sometimes recommended to help the patient deal with the underlying anxiety or anger that can lead to grinding the teeth at night.

Guided relaxation tapes and reducing caffeine and nicotine levels can also help the sufferer to sleep more peacefully, and reduce the amount of clenching and grinding at night.

Other methods of overcoming Bruxism include the practices of Yoga and Tai Chi, which help the body relax and dissolve pent-up energy and stress. A therapeutic massage of the neck, shoulders and face muscles can also help many sufferers to lessen the effects of Bruxism, or in some cases, overcome the condition completely.

Bruxism is a condition that is commonly known as "teeth grinding" and it occurs only at night. Although most cases of teeth grinding are the result of stress and anxiety because Bruxism only occurs at night, it is the result of missing teeth or a bite that just doesn't line up. Bruxism affects millions of people in America, and most people don't even know that they grind their teeth at night. Unless you sleep with someone who wakes up to the sound of your grinding teeth, or you know the symptoms, teeth grinding can be easy to miss. Bruxism can cause you to have flat or worn away teeth, along with the discomfort it causes you during the day. Bruxism can be treated if you learn how to recognize it.

Teeth grinding only occurs during the night so it may be difficult to recognize that you suffer from it. It may be easy to write off because if you don't even notice that you grind your teeth, there is no reason to treat it. However, if you grind your teeth at night, it may be the cause of a number of problems that you experience during the day when you're awake. Some of the symptoms occur immediately in the morning, or when you're eating, or even when you look in the mirror. If you frequently have a sore jaw or your teeth hurt in the morning, you may suffer from teeth grinding. Bruxism can also account for the pain you feel in your upper jaw when you chew your food or the sensitivity of your teeth to cold and citrus foods. If you look in the mirror and notice that your teeth are becoming flat and worn, or there are unexplained chips in your teeth, Bruxism may be responsible. If you frequently wake up at night or you have headaches all day, you may think that you have a sleeping disorder when in reality you are waking up to the sound of your grinding teeth. Bruxism can be treated and all of these symptoms can finally disappear.

Bruxism often causes you discomfort during the day, however, the worst part of teeth grinding is the long-term damage that it can cause if it goes untreated. Bruxism can wear down your teeth to the point where you will require a root canal, a crown, or implants. These are all very painful procedures, and it may be very embarrassing if you grind your teeth so much that you require dentures before you reach your thirtieth birthday. Bruxism can also cause severe damage to your jaws and may even cause hearing loss because the sound is so loud it can damage your inner ear. The worst part of teeth grinding, however, is that over time it has the ability to change the shape of your face. There is no reason to allow teeth grinding to go untreated. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, it is important to seek attention in order to break that age-old habit.

There are ways to prevent Bruxism without having to wear an uncomfortable mouth guard at night. If you consume caffeine during the day or close to bedtime, you are more likely to grind your teeth. It may be a good idea to lessen or stop your intake of products that contain caffeine like cokes and candy. Make an effort to not go to bed intoxicated, alcohol has been proven to increase teeth grinding. If you have a habit of chewing on things like pen caps when you are writing, or chewing gum during the day, you are increasing your risk of Bruxism. You are training your jaws to chew on things all day and your body will continue that even after you go to sleep. Your chances of having Bruxism are multiplied if you grind your teeth during the day. It's important to make an effort to stop grinding when your awake so your body will not want to grind when you fall asleep. If you do one or more of these methods your risk of nighttime teeth grinding will be dramatically reduced.