Teeth grinding during the night while you sleep a common phenomenon called bruxism. Sleeping phenomena like a nightmare, somnambulism, and nocturnal enuresis are shared at a younger age. But, unlike the other conditions, teeth grinding is common throughout life, especially in the older generation. Mostly grinding teeth is an indication of disturbed sleep, anxiety, and stress. Some people clench their jaw and teeth during the day or while awake. Bruxism has two significant varieties. The first one comes into the sharp bruxism category, And The second type is sleeping bruxism. Here, the person clenches their jaw or grinds teeth in sleep. Usually, people having sleep grinding problems have other sleep disorders. Snoring, the inappropriate position of sleeping, sleep apnea, and such are the most common conditions that may induce bruxism. Most commonly, you will notice secondary signs and symptoms due to bruxism before visiting a doctor. So, here in this article, we will discuss the causes, signs, symptoms, and remedies of bruxism or teeth grinding at night.
Risk factors of teeth grinding.
The first and foremost reason for teeth grinding at night is stress and anxiety. Excessive work pressure, depression, hectic lifestyle, and secondary sleep disorders are the exaggerating factors of teeth grinding. Intestinal amoebiasis is the leading cause of teeth grinding or bruxism in children. Surprisingly, some most famous and influential antipsychotic drugs result in bruxism too. Suppose anyone in your family has or had bruxism. In that case, it increases your chances by folds—familial history and genetic line act most important in most of the disease and prognosis process. Type A personality or aggressive people have more tendency of having bruxism than others. Some other disease conditions, like reflux disease or GERD, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinson’s, are the most common predispositions of bruxism. If you have these or a few of these traits, then you need to check on yourself. Now let us know the symptoms that require medical attention.
Signs and symptoms
The first and most common sign of bruxism is having consistent jaw and headache for an extended period without any known pathology. Also, the awakening of the other person sleeping with you due to the grinding sounds is another crucial feature of this disease. In the later phases, you may notice brittle, chipped, and fractured teeth. Loss of enamel is the most common complication of bruxism. It leads to extreme toothache and sensitivity. As there is extensive tooth destruction and there will be pointed ends, you may notice injury in the inner mucosa of the mouth. The jaw pain may extend to the ear sometimes.
Preventing bruxism
There are quite a few effective techniques and treatment plans to prevent teethgrinding. Sleeping with a partner who can wake you up when you start grinding is a good and primary idea. Practicing a good sleeping posture will help you to solve most of the sleeping problems. When there is no underlying sleep disorder, bruxism usually tends to settle down. Stress is the main culprit initiating bruxism in most people. It would be best if you treated stress and personality disorder to treat bruxism completely. Avoid any stimulant while the treatment is going on. Also, avoid extremely hot or cold food to prevent teeth sensitivity. Mild to moderate levels of bruxism do not need any medical attention at all. But, if you face severe sleeping problems or pain, you need to consult a Doctor. A correct painkiller for immediate relief, counseling, antipsychotics, and such will help to reduce the problem. Once you get rid of the initial grinding trait, then the doctor may refer you to the dental experts to repair the damage and aesthetic helps.
