Understanding Bruxism & Its Effects

A common adage that we hear often is, “Just grin and bear it.”; whereas what we actually do when we are stressed, is we “Grind and bear it!” I have just added a letter to grind vis-a-vis grin and it makes so much of a difference to both our mental state, as well as, to the well-being of our teeth.

Teeth grinding is often a subconscious habit. Most of the time it is diagnosed by a dentist who asks a leading question while eliciting the dental history or from a rant of a long-suffering spouse who gives away the habit!

Teeth grinding/bruxism may be a habit during the day when a person is awake – awake bruxism, usually associated with familial responsibility or work-related stress, or may be seen in a person who tends to clench or grind teeth at bed time – sleep bruxism, which is classified as a sleep-related movement disorder.

Who Is a Bruxer?

Pose the following questions to yourself:

• Has anyone told you that you gnash your teeth at bedtime?
• Do you experience fatigue/soreness in your jaws or gums in the morning after waking up?
• Do your temples hurt on getting up from bed in the morning?
• Do you grind/clench your teeth in day time?
• Do you experience clicking sounds on the opening/closing of jaws?

Sometimes, bruxers may experience pain in the ear, because of the close proximity of the jaw joint to the ears. Sensitivity of teeth is another common complaint; this occurs due to the wearing away of teeth structure which exposes the nerves inside the teeth, rendering them sensitive. Bruxism also causes reduced lower facial height, resulting in wrinkles at the corner of the lips giving an aged appearance to the person.

Risk Factors

• Stress
• Lifestyle habits like drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes; these individuals are twice as likely to grind their teeth.
• Excessive caffeine intake, more than 6 cups/day.
• Anti-anxiety medications like SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) may cause bruxism on long-term usage.

How Is Bruxism Treated?

Once the problem is correctly diagnosed, the dentist can take measurements of your teeth and can fit your teeth with a night guard. This is made of silicone rubber and just rests on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This not only protects the teeth from wearing away but also helps in reducing the stress on the chewing muscles and also the jaw joint.

The individual should also look for ways to reduce stress; do what works for you. Listening to music, trying a new hobby and a warm bath prior to bedtime may help beat stress. Avoiding alcohol and smoking, reducing caffeine intake from food and drinks like colas, coffee & chocolates and not chewing on non-foodstuffs like pens, pencils, etc. help in reducing stress on the jaw joint and teeth.

Like I mentioned at the start, let us stop GRINDING, instead, let us start GRINNING our way to a healthy mouth and lovely smile.

Keep smiling!!