Bruxism (teeth grinding) – Symptoms and causes

Nighttime teeth grinding is a bothersome condition that affects a considerable portion of kids and a lesser portion of adults. Although it is not as excruciating as other dental conditions, it can cause great discomfort.

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine defines the condition as repetitive jaw muscle activity that causes the teeth to grind, clench or gnash.

Teeth grinding falls under sleep-related movement disorders. These are a group of conditions where one suffers repeated and stereotypical movement while they are sleeping.

Bruxism refers to the repetitive jaw muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of teeth. Experts categorize it into awake bruxism (AB) and sleep bruxism (SB). SB is teeth grinding that occurs during sleep, marked by movement of the masticatory muscles responsible for chewing. SB is considered distinct from AB, with the physical action being similar but occurring during wakefulness.

This is essentially the layman’s term for sleep Bruxism. Firstly, in this condition, you might catch yourself abnormally moving and contracting your jaw muscles, causing abnormal movements to your teeth in the form of gnashing, clenching, or grinding. Moreover, it is an unconscious movement, meaning that you can’t consciously control it, as it is coming from your subconscious.

Nighttime teeth grinding can be caused by multiple factors. It is important for both you and your healthcare provider to pin down the exact cause.
Occlusion/Bite Problems: Although experts previously attributed SB to occlusal interferences and malocclusion, current literature suggests central regulation instead of peripheral causes, indicating no relation to occlusal factors.
Stress and Anxiety: Elevated stress levels, anxiety, competitiveness, hostility, depression, and phobic anxiety often associate with SB. Psychosocial factors like emotional stress may play a role.
Sleep Disorders: SB episodes often occur during light non-REM sleep stages and follow physiological changes like brain activation and increased heart rate, suggesting a central origin. Researchers have linked SB to sleep microarousals, genetics, neurochemicals, and respiration, although they do not fully understand the exact relationships.

Care should be taken in regard to sleep position. Although a certain position will not cause teeth grinding on its own, it can worsen a pre-existing Bruxism. Examples of notorious sleep positions are lying flat on the stomach and on a side with a hand under the pillow. These put unnecessary pressure on the jaw and cause malalignment of the spine. Sleeping on your back is the optimum position, as it straightens the spine and relaxes the jaw muscle.

Constant pressure and contraction of your jaw muscles can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. 

• Teeth: Constant pressure on your teeth from muscle contraction can produce a wide variety of aesthetic and functional problems
• The teeth may crack, chip, or fracture, which can be bothersome in appearance.
• Tooth enamel, the outermost layer of the teeth, may wear out, exposing the inner two layers and leading to infection.
• Pain: wearing out of the enamel can expose the inner nerve endings. The contraction pressure can irritate these, sending unnecessary signals to the brain, which perceives them as pain.
• Jaw: constantly putting pressure can cause
• Square jaw: the muscles become stronger and larger due to the constant contraction, giving a characteristic squared jaw
• Muscle fatigues: Constant contraction can cause the muscle to tire out.
• Head and Face
• Constant headache and facial pain.
• Changes in the shape of the gum and tongue

Pinning down the exact cause of teeth grinding can be the important first step on the road to alleviating this constant pain. After pinning down the cause, you should start looking for solutions according to each problem

• Stress and anxiety: in this fast-paced world we’re living in, stressors are constantly present in our environment. Try alleviating unnecessary stress as much as possible. This can be achieved in a myriad of holistic ways, including meditation and yoga. Try reducing your screen time and drink stress reducing herbs as camomile. These natural and non invasive methods can dramatically decrease the teeth grinding. As for anxiety, resorting to a psychiatrist is always a great step. They can help by a plethora of ways, including behavioural cognitive therapy. This kills two birds with one stone, as it helps in managing anxiety and reducing teeth grinding.
• Check your diet: as mentioned above, many triggers are ubiquitous in everyday diet. Bruxism can be the straw that makes you quit smoking. In addition, try limiting caffeinated drinks and drink them a couple of hours away from bedtime. You can also try replacing coffee and tea with a better alternative as matcha. As for the alcohol, reduce it to a minimum.
• Jaw massages: these can relax the jaw muscles and help in releasing the tension from them. This, in turn, will reduce the pain around the jaw, the headache and the constant feeling of fatigue.
• Mouth guards: these are called occlusal splints and are made of acrylic. These are removable devices that are put during sleep time. They fit between your upper and lower jaw, preventing excessive grinding and movement.
• Botox: Use this as a last resort. Botox injections paralyze the muscles, preventing them from contracting excessively.

Unfortunately, there is no definitive treatment for Bruxism. Although various methods, as mentioned above, can aid in reducing it, there is no cure.

In the end, Teeth grinding can be a bothersome condition to live with. Pointing out the causes and finding root treatments can be of the utmost importance. Tired of disturbed sleep due to teeth grinding? Immediately book a consultation at DentSpa, where our professionals can provide you with valuable advice and solutions.