REVIVE DENTAL IRVING
TEETH GRINDING / BRUXISM
LEARN ABOUT TEETH GRINDING, BRUXISM
Teeth grinding habits can fracture teeth or wear down the tooth structure. If you have bruxism, we may fit you with a nightguard to prevent damage while you sleep. We can also recommend lifestyle changes to help keep you from grinding teeth and clenching the jaw.
Bruxism is the habitual teeth grinding or clenching of teeth, and can occur when you are awake or while sleeping. Sleep bruxism tends to be a good indicator of people who also have awake bruxism. SB is considered a sleep-movement disorder, and people who have SB often have other sleep disorders too, such as heavy snoring or sleep apnea. A number of studies have also found a strong link between bruxism and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) – which is an umbrella term for a group of over 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the sliding jaw joint that connects our jaw to our skull.
CAUSES
Stress and anxiety are the main causes for bruxism in adults, but there are many potential causes for bruxism. Here are the most common causes of bruxism in adults:
-
Too much stress and/or anxiety
-
Excessive anger, frustration or tension
-
Certain medications, in particular SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
-
Sleep disorders, like snoring and sleep apnea
-
Cigarette smoking
-
Caffeine use
-
Certain personality types, such as people prone to very competitive, aggressive or hurried tendencies
Bruxism is also surprisingly common in children, with about 20% of children developing bruxism. Most children outgrow bruxism after losing their baby teeth, and bruxism in children often has different causes than for adults, such as:
-
Misaligned teeth or bite
-
Pain or irritation, such as teething or an earache
-
Allergies
-
Sleep apnea
-
Medical or hereditary reasons, such as cerebral palsy or hyperactivity
-
Stress, such as changes in routine, difficulties in school, disruptions or arguing at home, etc.
