What You Need to Know About Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding is a habit done by people from time to time. It can be a response to stimuli, such as an overwhelming emotion or stress. However, when the grinding of teeth becomes uncontrollable, it can become a health problem. The medical term used for this act of grinding of the teeth that includes the clenching of jaws is bruxism. Bruxism commonly occurs during slumber, and is one of the most common sleep disorders. While it does not have immediate health threats, it can lead to teeth damage, facial pain, and facial joint damages.

There are several causes of bruxism, the most common being in the form of stress. Stress plays a huge role in the aggravation of teeth grinding. When an individual is stressed, his normal sleeping patterns is disrupted. He can easily be aroused, which leads to unconscious grinding of the teeth. When the person is continuously subjected to stress, this can change into a habit, which is hard to reverse. Another cause of bruxism that is highly linked to stress is unreleased feelings of anger. When one is angry but is unable to express it, his emotions can translate into physical symptoms. And one of the most common physical manifestations of suppressed anger is grinding of teeth.

Other than the emotional factors, there are also physical causes of bruxism. These include the improper alignment of the teeth of the individual. This can be congenital or a cause of a disorder or an injury. When the alignment of the person's teeth is abnormal, there is a chance that they will be in frequent friction. Another physical cause is the development of the teeth. During childhood, teeth are temporary and grow in a fast rate. The growth can be uncomfortable to the child, and he might grind his teeth as a response. This will diminish as the child grows a permanent set of teeth that in turn eliminates his bruxism. Lastly, bruxism can be caused by disorders that impair the motor function of the individual, such as Parkinson's disease or Huntington's chorea. Because of the decreased motor function, the sick individual cannot control his facial muscles, leading to involuntary grinding of the teeth.

People who have bruxism fail to recognize their condition most of the time because the grinding happens when they are asleep. If an individual is suspected to suffer from this disorder, it is best to bring them to the dentist so that an evaluation can be conducted. Symptoms of teeth grinding include pain in the jaw muscle, because of the nerve damage caused by the disorder, flattened or chipped teeth because of the constant friction that the teeth are subjected with, and headaches caused by the prolonged muscle contraction experienced by the individuals. Treatment of this disorder includes application of a dental guard, electric stimulation and biofeedback. The main goal of the modes of treatment is to prevent further damage to the teeth and jaw muscles and joints and to reduce the muscle contraction to enable the facial muscles to relax.