Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

Bruxism is the term used for grinding and clenching of the teeth. It usually happens at night while sleeping but some people grind their teeth during the day as well.

The Cause:

The exact cause of teeth grinding is not yet determined, but it is thought that both emotional and physical factors are involved.

Most common emotional factors may be:

1. Stress. Anger, anxiety, pain, frustration and sleep disorder

Most common physical factors may be

1. Abnormal or irregular bite (malocclusion) due to crooked or missing teeth or due to other reasons
2. Jaw joint disorders (TMD/TMJ)
3. Improper surface shape of the teeth or restorations that will cause “high spots” on the biting surface

In some cases there is no known cause for teeth grinding, and in other cases that cause may be a combination of both emotional and physical factors.

The Problem:

1. Horrible noise that is done while sleeping and is noticed by your spouse or sleeping partner
2. Abnormal wear of the teeth even to the gum line
3. Cracked or chipped enamel, hairline fractures, especially back teeth
4. Flattened tips of the teeth
5. Loosened teeth
6. You can see the inside of your tooth, the enamel is so worn that inside of your tooth is exposed
7. A clicking jaw joint, that means when opening your mouth or chewing you can hear clicking sound coming from your jaw joints
8. Soreness and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles
9. Earaches and headaches especially when you wake up in the morning
   
   

The Solution

For some cases of teeth grinding there is no known cure, but fortunately there are ways to reduce or stop your grinding habit and limit further damage to your teeth, gums and jaws and eliminate the pain that is caused by this habit.

There are different ways to reduce or stop teeth grinding depending on the cause. Your dentist will determine which treatment or combination of treatments is right for your case.

Emotional Factors: we recommend to discuss these factors with your physician.

Physical factors:

It is always best to first determine, if possible, the cause of Bruxism through performing certain tests. Then, a treatment or a combination of any of the treatments below may be required. Your dentist may start by engineering your bite and if your case is more difficult than the use of restorations like crowns, or orthodontic treatment may be needed.

Treatment may include the following procedures:

1. Removing the “high spots” of a tooth by reshaping the surface of the tooth
   
2. Wearing a custom-made plastic mouth guard made from impressions of your teeth, known as a night guard, to stop grinding at night while sleeping. A night guard is a plastic device custom-made to fit your teeth properly and wearing it during sleep will prevent teeth from coming together and grinding.
   
   Please note that a night guard does NOT address the cause of teeth grinding.
   
3. Reshaping or reconstructing the biting surface with crowns, inlays or orthodontic treatment.
   

What happens if you don’t treat Teeth Grinding

1. Damage to the gums which may lead to gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis)
2. Loss of both natural teeth and restorations (crowns, onlays, bridges, veneers etc…)
3. Developing TMD/TMJ which is a jaw joint related disorder
4. Increase in teeth sensitivity