You wake up at night to a crunching sound. It’s not the door or a branch tapping on the window. It’s your partner, deep in slumber, unaware of their teeth grinding.
While this condition is quite a nighttime nuisance, it does more than disrupt your sleep. It can cause long-term dental problems and chronic pain. Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is more common than you think. You might even have experienced it without knowing it.
Find out why and if you’re grinding your teeth – plus how to avoid or treat it below.
What is bruxism?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine defines bruxism as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity involving teeth grinding or clenching and/or mandible bracing or thrusting. Sleep bruxism is more common, but you might catch yourself rubbing your teeth together during the day, too.
Although gritting your teeth isn’t much of an issue on its own, its side effects can present complications.
A paper in the Journal of Conservative Dentistry reveals that persistent grinding can cause problems in your jaw joints. These can lead to jaw pain, headaches, tooth wear and tear, gum issues, and dental fractures. It could even trigger more complex issues like hearing loss, tooth loss, and even social anxiety.
Signs you have bruxism – Common teeth-grinding symptoms
You might not be aware that you grind your teeth while sleeping. Your partner will likely be the one to call attention to the habit. But if they don’t notice or you don’t have a bed partner, how can you tell if you have bruxism?
Here are some common symptoms of teeth grinding:
- Cracked, chipped, or loose teeth
- Headaches, sore jaws, neck pain, or ear pain, especially in the morning
- Aching teeth and stiffness in the face and temples upon waking
- Sore jaw joints when eating
- Cracked or broken fillings
- Sensitive teeth, especially if this is generalised instead of being limited to just one or two teeth
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, where the joint connecting your jaw to your skull may hurt or make abnormal movements or noises
You can consult a dentist if you exhibit these symptoms. They will help you determine if you are grinding your teeth and what might be causing you to do so.
Why do you grind your teeth?
Around 10 years ago, teeth grinding fell under the dysfunctional or pathological category. However, according to a study in the British Dental Journal, it is now considered a centrally controlled condition. This means it can be triggered by psychological, social, and psychological changes.
Some scientists even go so far as to propose that teeth grinding has a protective benefit. Hypothetically, it helps maintain airways and stimulates saliva production.
But regardless of potential health benefits, grinding your teeth can have painful effects on your oral health. To deal with the condition, try to identify what causes it. Possible causes of bruxism include:
1. Anxiety and stress
Clamping down on your teeth has always been seen as a physical manifestation of stress.
A Journal of Research in Personality study verifies previous research on this association. It confirms that individuals with depression, anxiety, and greater life problems tend to experience more bruxism incidences. Even lab rats exposed to emotional stress led to brux-like symptoms.
The experiment concludes that those with high emotional stability report a lower rate of teeth grinding.
2. Hyperacidity
Experts have long analysed the link between acid reflux (particularly gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD) and teeth grinding. Here’s how:
Lecturers at the 2017 Seattle Study Club Symposium suggested that swallowing is the natural reaction to bringing down acid. To help move things along, the body, in a way, tricks itself into “chewing,” thus prompting saliva production and aiding in swallowing.
However, acid reflux is often misdiagnosed as grinding since both result in enamel erosion. It’s wise to consult a specialist to help assess your specific condition.
3. Substance use and abuse
Drinking caffeine and alcohol and smoking are also culprits of teeth grinding – for varying reasons. Alcohol alters sleep patterns, which can hyperactivate muscles, including the ones in your jaw.
On the other hand, caffeine can worsen feelings of anxiety and stress. The stimulant in nicotine, an ingredient in cigarettes and cigars, also prompts a similar effect.
Those who drink and smoke have a higher chance of developing bruxism. However, according to the Australian Dental Association, certain drugs and medications can also trigger it.
4. Parasites
Bruxism is also common among children. But the usual suspects of worrying and teething may not be the only reasons. A study in the Dental Research Journal found that pathogenic parasites, particularly pinworms, may trigger teeth grinding in kids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that the stress of the infection’s symptoms may also explain the link. Either way, it’s wise to practise hand hygiene to reduce the risk of unsavoury germs.
5. Sleep apnea
There is no clear-cut explanation for the relationship between sleep apnea and teeth grinding, except for the fact that those afflicted with the breathing condition usually end up gnashing on their teeth during slumber. One theory, detailed by the Sleep Foundation, states that when your airway closes from obstructive sleep apnea, your chewing muscles are activated to help reopen it.
Similar to how bruxism theoretically protects against acid reflux by spurring your salivary glands, grinding also helps lubricate the dry throat that’s often symptomatic of sleep apnea and other sleep-related breathing issues.
How to treat teeth grinding
If you’re worried about teeth grinding and its effects on your health, here are a few things you can try:
1. Manage your stress and anxiety.
Because stress is one of the leading causes of bruxism, you might be able to kick the habit by finding a way to relax and let go of your anxieties. You can seek professional help through counselling or therapy, try relaxation techniques like meditation and mindfulness, and employ other stress management strategies in your day-to-day life.
2. Adopt habits that encourage better sleep.
As we all know, a good night’s sleep has many benefits. One of them is the reduced likelihood of teeth grinding.
Some things you can do include regular exercise, getting out of bed and staying out once awake, following a good sleep schedule, staying away from stimulants like caffeine in the hours before bedtime, and more.
3. Use a mouthguard.
Your dentist can make you a custom mouthguard, called an occlusal splint. This will protect your teeth from the effects of grinding and help ease the pressure on your jaw muscles and joints.
4. Get checked for other medical conditions.
Since sleep apnea, parasites, and hyperacidity can cause teeth grinding, see a doctor to find out if you have any of these conditions. You may find that treating the underlying medical issue stops the bruxism altogether.
You may also need to treat any damage or medical conditions caused by your teeth grinding. For example, you can do physiotherapy for jaw muscle pain and fatigue and have a dentist or orthodontist repair damaged teeth.
While experts haven’t confirmed whether misaligned teeth cause bruxism, you can’t question the association between the two conditions. Too much clenching can cause your teeth to move and shift, opening up other alignment-related dental issues, such as difficulty brushing and flossing.
Protect your teeth from these consequences with the proper dental solution. For example, aligners like ClearCorrect can help fix any crookedness caused by teeth grinding. ClearCorrect uses digital scanning to create a barely-there mouthpiece that applies precise pressure to straighten uneven teeth. Find out if you’re a candidate for these top-of-the-line aligners.
There’s still so much mystery surrounding teeth grinding. But finding its root cause is the first step to having better teeth, better health – and a better night’s sleep for you and your bed partner.
References:
Australian Dental Association. (n.d.). Teeth grinding. teeth.org.au.
Beddis, H. P., Pemberton, M. N., & Davies, S. G. (2018). Sleep bruxism: an overview for clinicians. British Dental Journal, 225(6), 497–501.
Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government. (n.d.). Teeth grinding (bruxism). healthdirect.gov.au.
Suni, E., & Suni, E. (2023, March 2). The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Teeth Grinding. Sleep Foundation.
Sutin, A. R., Terracciano, A., Ferrucci, L., & Costa, P. T. (2010). Teeth grinding: Is Emotional Stability related to bruxism? Journal of Research in Personality, 44(3), 402–405.
The Correlation between Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Bruxism among 3-6 Year-Old Children in Isfahan. (n.d.). PubMed.
Yap, A. U. J., & Chua, A. P. (2016). Sleep bruxism: Current knowledge and contemporary management. Journal of Conservative Dentistry, 19(5), 383.
