Teeth grinding is clinically referred to as bruxism. Bruxism is the act of clenching and grinding of the teeth (consciously or unconsciously) either during the day or while you sleep. Bruxism is considered both a medical and a dental problem. It not only affects the teeth but also the supporting surrounding structure.
Grinding typically occurs during sleep. If you've ever had a roommate or loved one who grinds their teeth, you know how terrible grinding teeth can sound. It can be mild or extreme. The extreme side of teeth grinding can be so bad...it can send chills down your spine. It can be just as bothersome as someone snoring in the same room. If the grinding is bad enough it can wake others in the room.
People grind their teeth for many reasons. Many doctors believe the majority of people grind their teeth due to stress.
Clenching or grinding teeth is fairly common in children as well, affecting three out of every ten. It is seen most often in children under the age of five. No one knows exactly why they develop this tendency, but it may be due to their lower and upper teeth not being aligned, earache, tooth eruption, or even stress- possibly from strife or tension at home or some other lifestyle change.
Because kids' teeth aren't yet permanent, they usually outgrow grinding. Permanent adult teeth will replace their baby teeth and will be much stronger and better aligned. However, since your adult teeth are the teeth you have for life, it's imperative for adults to be aware of teeth grinding effects.
Although teeth grinding shouldn't be a real concern for health problems, there are number of negative effects associated with bruxism.
Here are some of the effects of bruxism:
Wearing down of the biting surfaces
Teeth chipping
Cracks in the teeth
TMJ- pain in the joint of the jaw (approximately 5-10% people will develop TMJ from teeth grinding.)
Collapse of hollowed teeth caused by tooth decay
Causes teeth to become loosened
Chewing of inside tissue of the cheek
Shortening of the teeth
Abfractions- loss of tooth structure
Headaches
Tooth loss
Tooth sensitivity
Wearing away of tooth enamel
Gum recession
Lesions
Disrupting the sleep of the "teeth grinder's" partner
You can see why once someone recognizes this condition they should take immediate action to assess the situation.
The problem is that most people don't know they are suffering from bruxism until symptoms of teeth grinding appear.
Usually teeth grinding is brought to the person's attention by their dentist or partner. Dentists are the first line of defense for bruxism as they can better evaluate what needs to be done to prevent future problems. Bruxism diagnosis can be handled most effectively at your local dental clinic. During the diagnosis the dentist will examine you for tooth damage, sensitivity, fractures, and damage to any prior dental work- such as crowns. If teeth grinding is suspected, the dentist will determine the underlying cause. In order to find out the extent of your disorder the dentist may ask about jaw or face pain and/or tenderness. It may even be necessary to undergo x-rays to find out it there is any unseen damage to teeth or jaw bones.
Once the dentist has done a thorough diagnosis, he/she will then dictate a cure. Teeth grinding cures are dictated in accordance to the relationships of causes. For instance, if stress is the culprit of teeth grinding, the dentist may advise some form of exercise or relaxation to help reduce the stress. In more serious cases- there may be need for a psychiatrist to find the root cause.
In many cases- alignment of the teeth is ruled the cause of teeth grinding. If this is the case, the problem can simply be fixed by the dentist creating you a customized mouth night guard. The night mouth guard will protect the enamel and any other future tooth damage.
If TMJ is has been determined, the dentist may send you to a specialist to better evaluate the situation. Once all the complexity is addressed the dentist can then treat the patient to eliminate teeth grinding.
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