Teeth Grinding In Sleep

Normally, teeth grinding in sleep does not require any treatment. However, if this habit prolongs, then this may lead to jaw disorders, face problems, broken dentures, missing teeth, headaches and several other problems of the teeth. The symptoms of sleep bruxism is governed by its several causes and as it happens unconsciously, it is important to be aware of the different symptoms. It is best if you can advice your roommate or partner to inform you about your teeth grinding at night, as it helps in the treatment.

Symptoms of Grinding Teeth At Night
The most prominent symptom is intense clenching or grinding of teeth itself. The grinding may be so loud that it may awaken the person sleeping next to you. The affected person may experience a dull headache which seems to linger all the time, along with a sore jaw. As the teeth are the most affected parts, this condition leads to worn down, flattened, fractured or chipped teeth. Apart from these, there might occur a loss of tooth enamel which exposes deeper layers of the tooth. Tooth may gradually become loose and the person may suffer from earache and chronic facial pain. Grinding teeth at night symptoms are also related with jaw problems such as jaw pain, feeling of tightness in the jaw muscles, etc. At times, the grinding of teeth may be so severe that it may also lead to enlarged jaw muscles.

What Causes Teeth Grinding At Night
There are no specific causes of sleep bruxism according to what most doctors feel. There might be some possible physical or psychological factors though. Some of them include aggression, anxiety, stress or tension and suppressed anger or frustration being the most possible cause. Poor bite alignment, any disorders related to the central nervous system and reflex chewing activity also contribute to teeth grinding.

Malocclusion is a dental condition wherein, the opposing teeth do not mesh normally and this may also contribute to this disorder.

The causes of kids grinding teeth at night may be linked to the growth and development of the jaws and teeth and sometimes baby teething. When it comes to toddlers grinding teeth at night, it does not raise so much of concern. Once the baby outgrow all his baby tooth, the condition will subside by itself. However, if teeth grinding continues even after the development of the permanent set of teeth, then it calls for medical attention.

Certain medical conditions such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, nutritional deficiencies, pinworm, allergies or endocrine disorders may also have grinding teeth at night as one of its symptoms. To add to this, it can also occur in the form of side effects of psychiatric medications or new dental filling.

Prevention
As mentioned earlier, treatment of teeth grinding involves dealing with its causes in a proper manner. The first line of defense is to use mouth guards, splints or any similar protective dental devices. This method, however, is not a cure but it can prevent your teeth from getting affected due to the grinding. These devices are easily available over-the-counter, but might not fit well for all. So, you can get a customized device from the dentist for yourself.

If stress is behind the teeth grinding at night, then taking up different measures for refusing stress is the best prevention method. Stress counseling, exercises for reducing stress (yoga, meditation, etc.), seeing a physical therapist, etc., can greatly help in bringing down the stress levels and thus the frequency of teeth grinding at night.

Habits such as chewing on pencils, pens or anything which is not food is normally seen in children. So, teaching or helping them to refrain from such habits also helps to prevent teeth grinding at night. Bearing a habit of chewing gum all the time is also one of the main reasons of children grinding teeth at night. This is because, chewing gum makes the jaw muscles more used to clenching.

Although it is difficult to stop yourself from teeth grinding in sleep, you can do your bit in preventing this habit during the day. Position the tongue between the teeth. This not only helps you in curbing the need to grind your teeth, but will also relax the jaw muscles.

As you are aware of some of the serious repercussions of teeth grinding at night, it is wise to pay a visit to a dentist on the slightest clue of the different symptoms. Merely sitting over it and hoping that it will subside over time, would only make conditions worse and in extreme cases too difficult to be treated.