Bruxism is a condition where you unconsciously grind, gnash, or clench your teeth. It can happen while you're awake (awake bruxism) or asleep (sleep bruxism).
Mild cases may not cause significant problems. However, severe bruxism can lead to:
- Short-term issues: Earaches, facial pain, jaw tightness, and shoulder stiffness
- Long-term issues: Tooth sensitivity, damaged teeth, and jaw disorders like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ/TMJD)
There are many factors that can lead to teeth grinding, and it’s often a combination of physical, psychological, and genetic factors. If patients suffer from an abnormal bite, where the teeth do not come together properly, or they have crooked or missing teeth, this can cause bruxism.
Sleep bruxism can also occur. This is when anxiety from work or at home can manifest itself subconsciously when the person is sleeping. This continued tooth grinding and jaw clenching wears away the enamel on the teeth and can lead to more permanent damage. Sleep bruxism can tend to be inherited from other family members.
Bruxism can also be an uncommon side effect of some psychiatric medications. Similarly, people who smoke, or drink excessively, or take recreational drugs can develop bruxism. It can also be associated with some medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, sleep-related disorders, and ADHD.
The exact cause is often a combination of factors:
- Physical: Abnormal bite, missing or crooked teeth.
- Psychological: Stress, anxiety, tension, anger, or frustration. Sleep bruxism can be linked to similar anxieties manifesting subconsciously.
- Genetics: Some people are more predisposed to bruxism due to family history.
- Lifestyle: Smoking, excessive alcohol or drug use.
- Medical conditions: Parkinson's disease, dementia, epilepsy, sleep disorders, and ADHD.
- Medications: Certain psychiatric medications can have bruxism as a side effect.
The signs and symptoms of bruxism/temporomandibular joint disorders can be as varied as the causes, but you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Worn down or shorter teeth
- Cracked or broken teeth or fillings
- Changes in your bite
- Clicking, popping, or grating jaw sounds
- Difficulty opening or closing your mouth (locked jaw)
- Jaw muscle pain, especially while eating or yawning
- Facial, head, neck, or upper back pain
- Earaches, migraines, or headaches
- Pressure behind your eyes or inside your ears
Several approaches can help manage bruxism:
- Lifestyle changes: Managing stress and anxiety can improve mild cases.
- Mouth guards and splints: These dental appliances worn at night can protect your teeth from grinding.
- Mouth guards are similar to those used by athletes and are flexible.
- Splints are made of harder plastic custom-made to fit your teeth and prevent grinding.
- In severe cases: Joint surgery might be necessary.
If you suspect bruxism, consult us today for a diagnosis and a personalised treatment plan.
Book a bruxism consultation
Following on from sleep studies, they found bruxism often starts with a type of sleep disturbance in the central nervous system. This means that factors such as stress and anxiety can make bruxism worse.
There are three common causes of bruxism. These include stress and anxiety, sleep issues such as snoring and sleep apnoea, and taking certain medications such as certain anti-depressants.
There are several signs that bruxism should be addressed, these include:
- Eroded teeth
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Facial pain
- Overly sensitive teeth
- Tense facial and jaw muscles
- Headaches
- Dislocation of the jaw
- Locking of the jaw
- A popping or clicking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
- Damage to the inside of the cheek
You may want to avoid very chewy foods as they may hurt your jaw and teeth, especially if you’ve had bruxism during the night.
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