Am I grinding my teeth away?

Teeth grinding or Bruxism as it’s more technically known can be caused for a variety of reasons. The reason behind a patient’s Bruxism can be very difficult to diagnose. However, some of the causes could relate from:

• Occlusion – the position of the teeth when the jaws are closed.
• Malocclusion – the incorrect position of the teeth when the jaws are closed.
• Stress.

What can happen with severe bruxism?

Headaches
A persistent Bruxer can suffer headaches, similar to migraines. As Bruxism can be most severe when the person is asleep, headaches upon waking are not uncommon.

Sore face & jaw muscles
Two muscles in particular can become sore. These are the muscles which can be located in the temple, and in the lower jaw just in front and below of the jaw joint.

TMJ dysfunction
The Temporal Mandibular Joint i.e. the jaw hinge can be affected by Bruxism, and the muscles surrounding this area can go into spasm – or muscle ’shock’. In severe cases, a patient is unable to open their mouth.

Wearing of teeth
Teeth were not designed to be ground away all night long, every night. Therefore, they start to wear away. As you only get one set of adult teeth, it’s best not to wear them out prematurely.

Fracture of teeth
Following excess wear, the teeth may develop signs of micro-fractures. This may lead to parts of the teeth fracturing. These fractures could eventually spread down to the nerve which would require root canal treatment.

How can a teeth grinding guard help?
To help eliminate the symptoms listed above, the patient can wear a teeth grinding/bruxism guard. The guard is made from a similar material to a sports mouthguard. Some people call these night guards, but Bruxism can occur at other times of the day too. As an example, a sales rep might start grinding his/her teeth in busy traffic. Whenever this occurs the patient must wear their guard.

Does a mouthguard stop grinding?
It won’t necessarily stop the grinding, but it helps to eliminate the symptoms. Think of wearing a shoe with a nail in the sole. This is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. However, if you put an insole into the shoe, the nail is still there but the symptoms have gone.