Bruxism, also known as tooth grinding is a sleep disorder which affects about 10% of adults although it’s thought everyone exhibits symptoms occasionally. Many of those with bruxism will not be aware they have it; usually it comes to people’s attention when those sleeping nearby mention the loud grinding noise. When it is severe people can wake up with headaches, earaches and jaw pain as well as seriously damaging their teeth over time.
Tooth grinding is the action of clenching the upper and lower teeth together, especially at the back of the mouth and sleep bruxism is a subconscious reflex. It can also include circular movements or those similar to chewing. Over time this wears down the tooth enamel despite it being one of the hardest wearing materials. Teeth can be ground down considerably and fillings and other dental work can be disturbed. The tensing of muscles while clenching teeth is thought to be the cause of the headaches and even arthritis of some bruxism sufferers.
The causes of bruxism aren’t known although there are links to stress, smoking and other sleep disorders. Treating the symptoms can be difficult as well since there is no one size fits all solution. The most common treatment is a mouth guard which protects the teeth and may reduce the grinding. These can be designed individually by dentists to suit the person’s teeth and minimise further damage.
Many of those with bruxism find alternative therapies such as acupuncture help lessen the grinding, and if stress is a factor then massage or aromatherapy might be relaxing enough to ease it. Behavioural therapy has also proved effective for some people. This involves wearing a sensor which lets you know when you are grinding your teeth at night by making a sound in an earphone or releasing an unpleasant taste into your mouth. In theory this helps the body learn to stop the action.
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