One of the most common sleep disorders is one you might not even realize you have. About one-third of the adult population suffers from bruxism, which involves uncontrollable teeth grinding and jaw clenching. While grinding them from time to time is something everyone is guilty of, doing it regularly can damage your jaw muscles, teeth, and facial joints.
The problem heightens when people do it during sleep, and they do not know the frequency and strength with which they are doing it. One in every ten people experience sleep bruxism, and doing nothing about it can fracture teeth and significantly change your facial profile.
What Causes Bruxism?
Multiple factors could develop bruxism in an individual and a key component of bruxism diagnosis is understanding which one is the reason in your case. There are two types of bruxism: awake bruxism, and sleep bruxism, both having different causative factors.
Oral health specialists believe that awake bruxism arises as a result of personality type and excessive emotion. Ambitious, driven, and competitive people clench their teeth, and the same occurs when you are overly stressed, angry, frustrated, aggressive, or in a hurry. Development of this kind of bruxism is out of your control but being aware of when it is happening is how you put an end to it. If you notice it, you are likely to stop.
On the other hand, sleep bruxism is the more dangerous kind. Occurring due to sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or by an imbalance in brain neurotransmitters, people are unaware of how strong (up to 250 pounds of force) they are grinding their teeth in sleep.
Lifestyle choices such as cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming more than six cups of caffeine a day also enhance the risk of a bruxism diagnosis. Certain anti-anxiety medications (antipsychotics and serotonergic ones) also have a positive correlation with bruxism.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Bruxism?
The number one way of realizing you have bruxism is noticing changes in your teeth.
Chipped, crooked, or cracked teeth are common signs, while others may even notice loose or missing teeth. These teeth fractures are usually painful, with the pain highest during eating, and overall, teeth become extremely sensitive as well. There may also be wear facets (flat smooth areas) on the biting surfaces of the teeth as they overly rub against each other. Additionally, the tooth enamel may wear away, revealing the layer of dentin below.
Since the teeth movement is controlled by the jaws, many signs and symptoms develop in that region too. Jaw muscles are always tense, sore, and painful but extreme bruxism may lead to its locking or dislocation. This, coupled with the teeth abrasions, results in an abnormal bite.
The severity of these symptoms depends on the seriousness of the bruxism diagnosis. If left untreated, it may cause a fracture in the temporomandibular joint (between the skull and lower jaw) which presents a popping or clicking sound when the jaw is moved.
Other symptoms include:
- Disrupted sleep
- Headaches and earaches
- Facial Pain
Bruxism Diagnosis
Most people who suffer from bruxism do not realize they have it until they notice the signs and symptoms on their teeth and jaws, and the same method is used by dentists as well. If you notice any changes or are alerted about your teeth clenching by your bed partner, visiting an oral health specialist is the first step.
They will examine your teeth and temporomandibular joints for signs such as flattened tips, jaw tenderness, undue wear on the teeth, abrasions, fractures, and any other damage to the cheeks. If they observe these, they will request a medical history that includes sleep habits, daily routine, lifestyle (to check for risk factors such as caffeine, alcohol, and medications), and the presence of diagnostic symptoms like tooth hypersensitivity, pain, and soreness.
Based on the information they receive, they will observe the condition over the next few visits before beginning a treatment that primarily consists of lifestyle changes.
If there is confusion about whether the described symptoms are a bruxism diagnosis or another sleep disorder based on your medical history, the dentist may also recommend a sleep study called polysomnography (PSG) that takes place in a sleep center.
Treating Bruxism
Most children with bruxism outgrow it, whereas many adults don’t have such severe bruxism that they need an intervention. However, if the need arises, bruxism is largely treated with learned behaviors.
For example, resting your tongue between the teeth is an easy way to prevent bruxism, whereas placing it upward relieves discomfort on the jaw, keeps teeth apart and closes the lips.
As grinding intensifies, you can limit your alcohol intake, especially before bed, and stop chewing on non-food items like stationery.
Moreover, the severity of bruxism also depends on the sleeping position so avoiding positions that increase it is another way to go about it. On the other hand, if stress and high emotions are the reason behind your bruxism, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exercise, a warm bath before bed, soothing music, and meditation are trusted resources.
Finally, if none of these work, instruments such as a mouthguard can be worn at night to absorb the biting force and prevent damage to teeth, and medications can be prescribed to regulate the level of transmitters.
The Bottom Line
A bruxism diagnosis is not something to excessively worry about. Realizing you have it is the difficult part, after which simple lifestyle changes are all you need to resolve the issue. However, doing this as soon as possible is of utmost priority because letting the issue develop into something huge may demand surgical intervention like bridges, crowns, root canals, or a denture.
