Bruxism Causes

There is one irritating habit in children as well as many adults, that is, grinding of teeth. This habit causes people to wear down their teeth by grinding, clenching or gnashing their teeth. This unconscious habit is called bruxism. The term is derived from the Greek word brugmos that means gnashing of teeth. It can occur during day (diurnal) or at night (nocturnal). In most people, it is not a major health issue. However, it is sleep bruxism that leads to most of the health issues in people. This is one of the sleep disorders affecting people. Mild cases do not require treatment. However, when the condition leads to teeth damage, headaches and even jaw disorders, it needs medical attention.

Causes
The reasons are not always very specific. Bruxism is actually a habit that is triggered by a stimulus. Reasons include subconscious triggers to become active and lead to gnashing or grinding of teeth.

Stress
One of the major causes of bruxism is stress. When a person is under stress, his sleeping pattern gets disturbed. This leads to grinding of teeth unconsciously and intermittently. Emotional stress, tension, and anxiety, all lead to the condition. People who suppress their anger or frustration often show signs of the condition in the day. These people do not let out their hidden anger and then grind their teeth in frustration.

Aggressive Personality
It has been found people who are highly competitive, aggressive or dominative tend to clench their teeth as well as fist. This is especially true when these people are frustrated or angry. They express their anger by directing their wrath on the person or object that makes them angry. These people will show physical signs of aggression like clenched fist and grinding teeth.

Malocclusion
People who suffer from misalignment of upper and lower teeth tend to suffer from this condition. This is also one of the common causes. When there is something wrong with the teeth alignment, it is very natural for one to fidget with them involuntarily, especially grind them against each other.

Sleep Disorders
People who suffer from sleep disorders like snoring, breathing pauses and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) suffer from bruxism. These people also suffer from other parasomnias like sleep talking, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, violent behavior during sleep, etc. When the person is going through the end phases of apnea, they usually mumble or suffer from teeth grinding in sleep.

Lifestyle
Causes also includes lifestyle factors. People who smoke, alcoholics, high caffeine intake, etc. are all at risk of developing this condition. Reasons also includes use of tobacco, medications for anxiety, sleep, depression and irregular sleeping patterns at night. Use of psychoactive substances also leads to this condition.

Underlying Disease
There are several disorders and diseases that are known to cause the condition. These diseases include Parkinson's disease as well as Huntington disease. The conditions make a person prone to teeth grinding during the day as well as night.

Pinworm
It has been found a pinworm triggers teeth grinding habit in many people. This is the reason people who suffer from bruxism are asked to give their stool samples for test to find presence of pinworms.

Deficiency
There are various deficiencies in the body that lead to bruxism. These include the pantothenic acid deficiency that leads to reduction in production of adrenal gland hormones. This causes loss of motor activity control. Calcium deficiency leads to involuntarily muscle movement in and around the mouth.

Causes in Children
Most children overcome the condition by the time they reach adolescence. Some of the causes that cause this condition in children include the following.

• Improper teeth alignment, especially when the dentition is still under process.
• Response to pain causes children to grind their teeth.
• Children under stress or suppressing anger, especially a child who is abused.

Treatment
After the cause is identified, the next step includes treatment. This includes stress management to overcome tension, fear and make the person get a more relaxed sleep. People who suffer from severe bruxism may be advised to wear a mouth guard or dental splint to avoid teeth damage. Misalignment of teeth may be corrected to overcome the unconscious need of grinding teeth together.

In most cases, bruxism is not so severe and does not require any medical treatment. However, if it is giving one jaw pain, headaches and damaging your teeth, you need to seek medical help.