Understanding Bruxism: Causes & Treatment

Bruxism is a condition characterized by the involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth, often occurring during sleep or while awake. It can lead to various symptoms and complications, including tooth pain and other dental issues. This article explores bruxism in detail, including its symptoms, causes, and treatment options.

Common Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism can manifest through several noticeable symptoms:

Tooth Pain: Persistent pain in the teeth can be a direct result of excessive grinding or clenching.
Jaw Pain: Discomfort or soreness in the jaw muscles.
Headaches: Frequent headaches, especially in the morning, are common among those with bruxism.
Worn Tooth Enamel: Noticeable wear on the surfaces of the teeth.
Sensitive Teeth: Increased sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods and beverages.

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Causes of Bruxism

There are many reasons why a person can grind their teeth. Several factors can also increase a person's risk of bruxism, including:

Age: Children are more likely to grind their teeth than adults. In fact, sleep-related bruxism affects 15% to 40% of children against 8% to 10% of adults.
Emotions: Frustration, stress, tension, anxiety, and repressed anger are all potential culprits behind teeth grinding.
Genetics: Bruxism runs in families. Children are almost twice as likely to get bruxism if a parent has it.
Medication: Research shows that certain medications are known to cause bruxism, including those that are used to treat psychiatric disorders. These drugs are believed to cause changes in the central nervous system that lead to teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Examples of such drugs include antipsychotics and antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Paxil (paroxetine).
Personality: Bruxism has been associated with certain personality traits such as neuroticism.
Substance use: The use of cigarettes, caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs can increase the risk of bruxism.

Additionally, bruxism has been linked to certain medical conditions. These include:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Dementia
Epilepsy
GERD
The terrors of a night
Parkinson disease
Sleep apnea (and other sleep-related disorders)

Bruxism Reason

Understanding the reasons behind bruxism is crucial for effective management. Key reasons include:

Psychological Factors: Stress and anxiety can be significant contributors.
Physical Factors: Misalignment of teeth or jaw issues.

Diagnosis of Bruxism

Bruxism is frequently diagnosed during a dental exam. The dentist will:

Check for worn or broken teeth
Look for damage to the inside of the cheek
Assess tenderness of the jaw muscles
Examine the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Your dentist may also take an X-ray to check for damage to the underlying bone tissue.

Bruxism Treatment

Effective Treatment Options

Managing bruxism involves several approaches:

Bruxism Mouth Guard: A custom-fitted mouth guard can protect teeth from damage and reduce the impact of grinding.
Stress Management: Techniques such as relaxation exercises or therapy to manage stress.
Dental Correction: Orthodontic treatments to correct misaligned teeth or bite issues.
Medication: In some cases, medications may be prescribed to help reduce muscle tension.

When to See The Dentist

See a dentist immediately if you have difficulty eating or opening your mouth. Keep in mind that a wide variety of conditions, from arthritis to whiplash injuries, can cause symptoms of TMJ. Therefore, see your dentist for a full assessment if self-care measures do not help you within several weeks.

Dentists who have more experience with TMJ disorders usually take X-ray tests and prescribe a mouthguard. Surgery is now considered a last resort for TMJ.

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Preventions of Bruxism

There aren't any medications or dental treatments that can completely stop teeth grinding just yet. However, your dentist might give you a night guard (a type of brace) to protect your teeth, muscles, and jaw joints from the damage caused by grinding.

If stress is a factor in your bruxism, talk to your doctor about ways to manage it. You might want to:

Explore stress reduction techniques.
Review your medications with your doctor to see if they might be contributing to the problem.
Consider stress counseling, starting an exercise routine, seeing a physical therapist, or getting a prescription for muscle relaxers

Here are a few more tips to help reduce teeth grinding:

Cut back on caffeine: Try to limit or avoid drinks like colas, coffee, and chocolate.
Steer clear of alcohol and smoking.
Avoid chewing on non-food items: This includes pencils, pens, and excessive gum chewing.
Be mindful of clenching: During the day, try to keep your teeth from clenching. If you find yourself grinding, gently rest your tongue behind your upper front teeth as a reminder.

Citations

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13191-011-0041-5

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is bruxism and how can it cause tooth pain?

Bruxism is the involuntary grinding, clenching or gnashing of teeth, often during sleep. This excessive tooth-to-tooth contact can lead to tooth sensitivity, headaches, jaw pain and even tooth damage over time.

2. How is bruxism treated?

Treatment options for bruxism include custom-fitted mouth guards or splints to protect teeth, stress management techniques, physical therapy, Botox injections and in severe cases, dental restorations. Your dentist can recommend the best treatment plan.

3. Can children suffer from bruxism?

Yes, bruxism is common in children, especially between ages 3-10. It is often outgrown by adolescence. Causes may include stress, sleep disorders, misaligned bite or missing teeth. If severe, it can lead to headaches, jaw pain and tooth damage.

4. What causes bruxism?

Causes of bruxism include stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, misaligned bite, missing or crooked teeth, medications, alcohol and smoking. Certain medical conditions like Parkinson's disease and dementia may also contribute.

5. Is bruxism considered a syndrome?

Sleep bruxism is considered a sleep-related movement disorder. However, awake bruxism is not considered a syndrome. Bruxism may be associated with other disorders like TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) or sleep apnea.

6. What are the symptoms of bruxism?

Symptoms of bruxism include grinding or clenching sounds during sleep, morning headaches, jaw pain or stiffness, tooth sensitivity, worn tooth enamel, broken fillings or teeth and TMJ disorders.

7. Why do people grind their teeth?

The exact reason for bruxism is not fully understood. It may be a response to stress or anxiety, a sleep disorder, misaligned bite, missing teeth, medications, alcohol or smoking. Certain medical conditions like Parkinson's disease can also contribute.

8. How effective are mouth guards for bruxism?

Custom-fitted mouth guards or splints are very effective in protecting teeth from the effects of bruxism. They act as a cushion between the upper and lower teeth, preventing tooth damage and reducing symptoms like jaw pain and headaches. However, they do not stop the grinding itself.