A guide to Bruxism

Joined
Mar 6, 2013
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There are two important issues about grinding your teeth that you should be aware of. First of all, it can cause your teeth real damage in the long term. In fact, in particularly extreme cases, it can cause damage to your teeth very quickly. The second issue about teeth grinding is that it can make life a misery – not for the grinder necessarily, but certainly for the poor person who is trying to sleep next to them.

Medical experts believe that around 20% of people grind their teeth while they sleep. The medical name for it is bruxism. The reason why bruxism causes so much interest amongst the medical community is because it cannot be cured. Also, no-one really knows quite why some of us do grind our teeth. Some evidence suggests it is genetic. Other evidence suggests that it could be related to stress or anxiety. But because we don’t really know what causes it, we don’t really know how to cure it.

So how do you know if you have a case of bruxism? Normally, the sufferer sleeps through it and it is usually the person next to them who notices it first. As you would imagine, sleeping next to someone who is grinding their teeth all night is very difficult! However, the sufferer themselves may begin to notice some side-effects of their bruxism. They may wake up in the morning with aching teeth or a saw jaw, for example.

Bruxism is unusual in that it is both a medical problem and a dental problem. Therefore, if you are grinding your teeth on a regular basis, your first step should be to visit your GP. They will diagnose your condition in more detail to try and discover the extent of the problem. Don’t worry, they won’t have to attach sleep monitors. Usually, the diagnosis will involve making assumptions based on how you answer a number of questions. For example, do you wake up in the morning with headaches? If so, how severe are they – are they disrupting your everyday life? Other aches and pains, such as earache or a clicking jaw, can also be tell-tale signs that you are grinding your teeth at night.

Based on your answers to these questions, your GP will usually be able to evaluate how serious the bruxism is. Mild cases of bruxism may not require any treatment, though your GP may encourage you to look at your lifestyle and diet to see if you can make any adjustments. It could be that you could look at ways to relieve some of the stress in your professional or personal life, which may help. Alternatively, it could be something like giving up smoking or drinking caffeine which makes the difference.

If your GP believes you have a chronic case of bruxism which is seriously affecting your health or your partner’s quality of life, there are a number of treatment options at their disposal. As already mentioned, bruxism cannot be cured, so the treatment is usually based around finding ways to manage and reduce it, so that it does not continue to affect your quality of life.

Treatment for bruxism normally combines two different strategies. There is the dental aspect, which could involve being fitted for a dental guard or splint which protects the teeth against the nightly wear and tear caused by bruxism. This will involve a visit to your dentist so that you can be fitted for a suitable product. Of course, this will not help to cure your condition; it will simply ensure that the damage to your teeth is minimised in the long term.

The second part of the treatment normally involves exploring a variety of techniques to remove stress and anxiety and to improve relaxation before bedtime. It could include massage, for example, or working with a dietician to understand what you are eating before you go to bed. Some sufferers claim that behavioural therapies can help, such as autosuggestion techniques or hypnosis.

Although there is a shortage of research into bruxism, there is some evidence to suggest that it primarily occurs in the lighter stages of sleep. Therefore, much of your treatment should be focused around ensuring that you are going to bed relaxed and ready to sleep, so that you enter a deep sleep as quickly as possible. In the same way that thinking about you evening diet can help, some sufferers have found that exercise can reduce their teeth grinding.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
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63
Thanks for sharing this information rosiebruce.
Grinding and clenching teeth is one of the common problem in dentistry. There are treatments for this as you discussed. The main cause of bruxism is stress.
 

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Joined
Apr 15, 2013
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Bruxism is the medical term that describes the act of Teeth Grinding & Jaw Clenching, sometimes people grind their teeth without it causing any symptoms or problems. However, regular and persistent teeth grinding can cause pain and discomfort in your jaw and it can wear down your teeth.

At smiles4less.co.uk we have a range of products designed specifically to combat the effects of bruxism.
 

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Joined
May 7, 2013
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Bruxism

When you chew your food, your deliver a force of about 175 pounds per square inch (psi) to your teeth. But when you grind your teeth at night, there’s no food to absorb the impact, so the force on your teeth can be 300 psi or more. That’s enough to cause permanent damage to your teeth, including cracked and chipped enamel, hairline fractures, and even wearing down of the teeth to the gumline & loosening of the dental implant screws The enamel may become so worn that the inside of the tooth (called the dentin) is exposed. If bruxism isn’t treated, it can lead to gum damage, loss of both natural teeth and restorations, and other more complicated jaw-related disorders (such as TMJ known disorders). Over time, your teeth may become sensitive due to exposed dentin, and your jaws may even move out of proper balance. Grinding your teeth can also cause a wide variety of other symptoms including soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles, and earaches or headaches-especially when you wake up in the morning. There is no known cure for bruxism. Fortunately, with night-guard trays there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding and even ways to limit further damage and pain due to grinding.
Do You Grind Your Teeth?
How to find out if you’re grinding your teeth?
Because most bruxism happens at night, most sufferers aren’t even aware of it until a sleep partner mentions the noise or until a dentist notices that their teeth are damaged. Here are some typical symptoms that may indicate nighttime teeth grinding:

Symptom checklist:

Jaw or facial pain and tenderness on awakening that lessens throughout the day
Headaches or earaches in the morning that go away as the day wears on
Spouse or sleep partner complains that the noise is keeping them awake at night
Teeth have become sensitive to cold, pressure, or other stimuli
Tips of teeth appear flattened

What to do if you think you may be grinding your teeth?
If you think you might be grinding your teeth at night, the first thing to do is visit your dentist in noida to assess any possible damage. It’s essential to halt the course of the disease to prevent or arrest damage to your teeth, gums, and jaws.

Dr. Reena Gupta
 

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Joined
Apr 29, 2013
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15
People who suffer from bruxism usually is prone to unusual headaches and migraine, ear aches, tooth mobility and tooth loss, etc. This is due to the force exerted among the teeth that causes pressure to the neighboring body parts. Teeth can also be easily worn out.
 

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