Ever wake up with sore jaw, aching teeth or a dull headache? When that happens, you may be suffering from bruxism, an overlooked condition that entails grinding or clenching of teeth, which mostly occur when you are asleep. Bruxism might not be a big problem to worry about, but when you fail to deal with it, you may experience substantial alterations in both your oral health and well-being.
This week in our post we will explain what bruxism entails, what causes it, the health effects related to the condition, and what one can do to control it or prevent its occurrence.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is an involuntary clenching, grinding or gnashing of teeth. It usually happens at night (sleep bruxism), but there are those who do it when awake (awake bruxism) especially under stressful situations or when focusing on something.
It happens more frequently than one would expect, and most individuals are oblivious of the fact that they grind their teeth; it also takes a toll on others to inform them or they start experiencing the effects of it. It may be identified by dentists during a check-up as enamel can be worn down or it can be any type of damage that is visible to the dentists.
What Brings On Bruxism?
The specific causes of mouth grinding might be different in different people, yet there are a number of things that can lead to its occurrence:
- Stress and Anxiety: Emotional stress is among the causes on the top of the list. One particular application of this seems to be clenching the jaw when pressurized.
- Sleep Disorders: Nighttime grinding can be associated with such disorders as screaming or sleep apnea.
- Dental Misalignment: Misalignment of teeth may also result in the desire to grind the teeth.
- Lifestyle: Risk factors involve smoking, alcohol and the presence of excessive caffeine.
- Medications: certain antidepressants and even psychiatric drugs indicate bruxism as a side effect.
The Health Impact of Bruxism.
You may imagine that, as a side effect, teeth grinding causes some dental wear in the worst case but the implications are far deeper.
- Tooth Damage
The act of grinding continuously destroys the tooth enamel which is the covering layer of tooth. This may over time result in:
- Tooth sensitivity
- Breaks or cracks
- Brushed-down or clipped teeth
- The rise of the risk of decay and cavities
After decaying enamel exposes your tooth to the possibility of getting additional damage because once it is gone, it is gone, and there is no salvaging it.
- TMJ Disorders and Jaw Pain
Bruxism exerts a very big burden on your jaw muscles as well as joints which may lead to:
- Contracted or painfully fatigued jaw muscles
- Jaw clicking or popping in the jaw
- Problems with opening and closing your mouth
- the disorder in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that may lead to sustained pain in the face and headache
- Pain and headaches Ear
Since the jaw muscles and nerves are interconnected to the rest of your head then bruxism tends to lead to tension headache and even earache (with no infection or ear problem at all). These occur especially in the morning.
- Sleep Disruption
Even though you might not be completely woke up during grinding, it affects your sleep. The noise is loud enough to trouble partners or roommates and to some it is so distracting because of all the clenching the sleeper cannot sleep deeply.
- Aesthetic Concerns
Teeth grinding has the potential of changing the shape of your teeth and smile in the future. A chipped out enamel or a flattened tooth can make the smile to appear older or uneven, which can affect self confidence.
Ways to determine whether you are a bruxer or not.
Bruxism is associated with sleeping and, therefore, it is difficult to realize that one has the condition. Some of the usual indications include the following:
- Wake up with the disharmony of a sore jaw muscles or headaches
- Unexpected decay of your teeth
- The crunching sounds which are detected by your partner
- Tooth sensitivity More Increment Tooth
- Stress or ache in your face, ear or neck
In case you feel like having bruxism, it is necessary to visit a dentist. They can evaluate any damages and can advise a treatment.
Treatment and Prevention of Bruxism
However, luckily, there are several possible ways in which one can take care of the problem of bruxism and lessen its effects:
Mouth Guards and Splints
A tailor-fit nightguard that is worn during sleep may save your teeth against teeth grinding damage. They are pressure-absorbing gadgets that put less pressure on the jaw.
Stress Management
Given that stress is one of the primary causes, this would be reduced by practicing relaxation skills such as yoga, meditation and diaphragmatic breathing so as to lessen instances of grinding.
Lifestyle Adjustments
the reduction of caffeine and alcohol, limitation of chewing-gum, and smoking cessation were all found capable of lowering the risk of bruxism.
The need to rectify Dental Problems
In the event that bruxism is due to improperly positioned teeth, then the use of orthodontic treatment or tooth adjustments might be beneficial. To make your smile back on track and stop teeth erosion, you can use the dental bonding in Hillsborough, NJ to fix the damage that caused such chipped teeth problems in your mouth.
Medication Review
In case you have bruxism associated with medication, consult your healthcare provider over possible substitutes.
In Conclusion
Bruxism might appear to be just a simple annoyance, but the implications of this condition could be quite extensive: tooth grinding to the pain of the jaw and sleep interruption. And the best thing is, once you are aware of it, and once you take the right attitude, then you can safeguard your health and keep your smile intact.
In case you could have some symptoms or think that you may be grinding your teeth, there is no use deliberately disregarding it you should face it and talk to your dentist and begin to take action and find relief.