Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) Causes & Treatments - Clove Dental

Most people clench and grind their teeth on occasion. Occasional teeth grinding, medically known as bruxism, usually is harmless; however, when teeth grinding occurs regularly, teeth can be destroyed, and other oral health concerns might ensue.

This article will teach you everything you need to know about teeth grinding, including the reasons and remedies. Your search for “denture labs near me” is now over. Continue reading to learn more!

Why Do People Grind Their Teeth?

Although stress and concern can cause teeth grinding, it is more likely to occur during sleep and is caused by an uneven bite, missing or crooked teeth, or a combination of the two. 

How Can You Tell If You Grind Your Teeth?

Because it frequently occurs during sleep, most people are unaware that they grind their teeth. When you wake up with a dull, continuous headache or a sore jaw, this is an indicator of bruxism. When a loved one hears grinding in the middle of the night, they may inform the individual that they are grinding their teeth.

Why Are Teeth Grinding Harmful?

Chronic tooth grinding can result in tooth fracture, loosening, or loss in some cases. Chronic grinding can wear teeth down to stumps. When these events occur, bridges, crowns, root canals, implants, partial dentures, and even full dentures may be required.

Severe grinding can damage teeth and cause tooth loss, but it can also impact your jaws, create or worsen TMD/TMJ, and even change the appearance of your face.

What Can Be Done to Stop Grinding Teeth?

Your dentist can make you a mouth guard to prevent you from grinding your teeth while you rest or sleep. Stress may result in teeth grinding. If this is the scenario, consult your doctor or dentist about stress-relieving techniques. Attending stress counseling, beginning an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist, or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are all choices that may be presented. If a sleeping condition is causing the grinding, treating it may diminish or eradicate the grinding behavior.

Other ways to stop teeth grinding include:

  • Avoid or limit caffeine-containing foods and beverages such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
  • Avoid alcohol: Alcohol causes grinding to become more intense.
  • Do not chew on pencils, pens, or other non-food items. Chewing gum should be avoided as it trains your jaw muscles to clench and increases your chances of grinding your teeth.
  • Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice yourself clenching or grinding your teeth during the day, insert the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice teaches you to relax your jaw muscles.
  • At night, relax your jaw muscles by pressing a warm towel against your cheek in front of your earlobe.

Do Children grind their teeth?

Not only adults grind their teeth. Between 15% and 33% of children grind their teeth. Children who grind their teeth have two peak periods: when their baby teeth erupt and when their permanent teeth emerge. Most children lose the teeth grinding behavior after these two sets of teeth have come in more fully.

Most children grind their teeth when sleeping rather than during the day. Nobody knows why children grind their teeth. But improperly aligned teeth, irregular contact between upper and lower teeth, illnesses and other medical conditions (such as nutritional deficiencies, pinworm, allergies, and endocrine disorders), and psychological factors such as anxiety and stress should all be taken into account.

Baby tooth grinding rarely causes complications. However, grinding can cause jaw pain, migraines, wear on the teeth, and TMD. See your dentist if your child’s teeth appear worn or complain of tooth sensitivity or pain.

Specific suggestions for getting a child to quit grinding their teeth include:

  • Reduce your child’s stress, especially right before bedtime.
  • To relax the muscles, try massage and stretching exercises.
  • Ensure that your child’s diet contains lots of water. Teeth grinding may be linked to dehydration.
  • Ask your dentist to keep an eye on your child’s teeth if they grind them.

Typically, no intervention is required with preschool-aged children.

Treatments

Dentists frequently equip bruxism patients with nightguards (retainer-like devices worn in the mouth overnight) to avoid tooth and mouth damage; however, the device does not stop the grinding.

Physicians may use the following approaches based on the patient’s symptoms and stressors:

Medication: Muscle relaxants can aid in the relaxation of the jaw and the cessation of nightly grinding. If you use some antidepressants that increase your risk of teeth grinding, your doctor may change your prescription to one that does not. A doctor may also prescribe antidepressants (without the risk of bruxism) if the drug can help you cope with the stressors that lead you to grind your teeth.

Procedures: Botox injections immobilize the jaw muscles employed while crushing teeth. Most doctors agree that the process, while not recognized by the FDA or covered by insurance, has been used since the 1990s, is safe, quite adequate, and does not alter the appearance of the face.

Behavioral strategies: Many centers include psychologists who work with patients to identify triggers and address them through stress management and relaxation training.

Final Words

Teeth grinding (also known as bruxism) is frequently associated with stress or worry. You can do things to help, and treatments are available from a dentist or general practitioner of the dental labs nyc provided by Cayster.

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