Teeth Grinding - Bruxism

Bruxism - TMJ - Teethgrinding Bruxism is the technical term for forcible grinding and clenching of the teeth. It usually happens at night, during sleep, although some people grind their teeth during the day as well. People who suffer from bruxism may also bite their fingernails or pencils, or chew the insides of their cheeks.

About half of US adults grind their teeth at night, and about 20% (over 40 million people) grind their teeth in a destructive way. Most people who grind their teeth are over 25 years old, and the disorder affects women and men about equally.

Bruxism can have a variety of causes, but the most common are probably emotional factors such as daytime stress, anxiety, anger, pain and frustration. Certain sleep disorders can trigger grinding of the teeth as well.

When you chew your food, your deliver a force of about 175 pounds per square inch (psi) to your teeth. But when you grind your teeth at night, there's no food to absorb the impact, so the force on your teeth can be 300 psi or more. That's enough to cause permanent damage to your teeth, including cracked and chipped enamel, hairline fractures, and even wearing down of the teeth to the gumline.

BEFORE	AFTER

The enamel may become so worn that the inside of the tooth (called the dentin) is exposed. If bruxism isn't treated, it can lead to gum damage, loss of both natural teeth and restorations, and other more complicated jaw-related disorders (such as TMJ known as temporomandibular joint disorders). Over time, your teeth may become sensitive due to exposed dentin, and your jaws may even move out of proper balance. Grinding your teeth can also cause a wide variety of other symptoms including soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles, and earaches or headaches-especially when you wake up in the morning. There is no known cure for bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding and even ways to limit further damage and pain due to grinding.

DO YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH?

How to find out if you're grinding your teeth? Because most bruxism happens at night, most sufferers aren't even aware of it. Some typical symptoms that may indicate nighttime teeth grinding:

• Jaw or facial pain and tenderness on awakening that lessens throughout the day.
• Headaches or earaches in the morning.
• Teeth have become sensitive to cold, pressure.
• Indentations on tongue.
• Tips of teeth appear flattened.