While You Were Sleeping

Wikipedia explains bruxism from the Greek word brugmos as grinding of the teeth accompanied by clenching the jaw during nighttime sleep or daytime naps. It is classified mostly as a form of habit and at the same time, considered as one of the sleep disorders. While chewing is a neuromuscular activity controlled by the subconscious process, teeth grinding is more of an activity governed by the unconscious mind during the sleep process.

During the waking life, a person grinding his or her teeth usually happens if he or she needs to say something but unable to do so thus causes frustration. However this teeth grinding ceases when the situation is resolved by allowing the person to express what he or she needs to say. A person dreaming of chewing gum may also exhibit teeth grinding. Thus a person who grinds his teeth at night is unaware of such activity until someone tells him he does or until complications such as dental problems, persistent headache and muscle pain somewhere in the mandible and neck area occur.

Although bruxism is not a life-threatening condition, proper medical, dental and psychological attention are needed depending on the causes why it is experienced by a person. The management also depends on the severity of the disorder. Some bruxers need only to bite on towels, munch on apples, while others who have more severe form undergo psychotherapy, surgical intervention and biofeedback mechanism or through the use of scientifically proven and medically accepted gadgets such as mouth guards and biofeedback headbands.

Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile which has captured majority of us had some untold story about it. Mona Lisa believed to have suffered from bruxism as a result of the strain of prolonged posing for the great Leonardo da Vinci. Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain has been constantly seen moving his jaw in most of his footage. Majority believe that this may be due to the side effects of the drugs that he has been taking while others say that it has become his habit which started as a kid in an attempt to maintain or keep-up with the rhythm which he never learned to overcome. The late Anna Nicole Smith, was informed by a dentist named Nick Luizzi, that her teeth grinding due to nervousness, resulted in her need of 20 crowns. It was never reported if Ms. Smith had a major dental work-up but judging from the look of her teeth when she smiled, it was evident that she sought medical and dental treatment.

Although it was never reported how and when those other personalities sought treatment, what was crucial was that, they were aware of the existence of the disorder and people around them encouraged treatment procedure.