Signs of Teeth Grinding

How Stress Can Affect Your Teeth
Learn the symptoms of teeth

Don’t be surprised if your dentist realizes how stressed you are before you do. The habit of grinding your teeth (called bruxism) is a big way that tension manifests itself, and recent studies show that more and more people are doing it, says Barbara J. Steinberg, DDS, clinical professor of surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine. Your dentist should be able to see unusual signs of wear on your teeth, but symptoms include frequent earaches or headaches, a sore jaw, facial pain and toothaches. Grinding can cause permanent tooth damage, so you should address the problem as soon as you can. Anything you can do to relieve stress should help, but if you grind your teeth while sleeping, your dentist may recommend wearing a night guard (to prevent teeth from rubbing against each other). Applying a warm compress to the jaw can help reduce pain by relaxing the muscles.

Link:
http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Health/Conditions-Diseases/How-Stress-Can-Affect-Your-Teeth.html
_________________

Why Do People Grind Their Teeth?
Although teeth grinding can be caused by stress and anxiety, it often occurs during sleep and is more likely caused by an abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth.

How Do I Find Out if I Grind My Teeth?

Because grinding often occurs during sleep, most people are unaware that they grind their teeth. However, a dull, constant headache or sore jaw are telltale symptoms of bruxism. Many times people learn that they grind their teeth by their loved one who hears the grinding at night.

If you suspect you may be grinding your teeth, talk to your dentist. He or she can examine your mouth and jaw for signs of bruxism, such as jaw tenderness and abnormalities in your teeth.

Why Is Teeth Grinding Harmful?

In some cases, chronic teeth grinding can result in a fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth. The chronic grinder may wear their teeth down to stumps. When these events happen, bridges, crowns, root canals, implants, partial dentures, and even complete dentures may be needed.

Not only can severe grinding damage teeth and result in tooth loss, it can also affect your jaws, result in hearing loss, cause or worsen TMD/TMJ, and even change the appearance of your face.

What Can I Do to Stop Grinding My Teeth?

Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep.

If stress is causing you to grind your teeth, ask your doctor or dentist about options to reduce your stress. Attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxants are among some of the options that may be offered.

Other tips to stop teeth grinding include:
Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.
Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.
Do not chew on pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
Relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.

Is Teeth Grinding Ever a Problem in Children?

The problem of teeth grinding is not limited to adults. Approximately 15 to 33 percent of children grind their teeth. Children who grind their teeth tend to do so at two peak times ? when their baby teeth emerge and when their permanent teeth come in. Most children lose the teeth grinding habit after these two sets of teeth have come in more fully.

Most commonly, children grind their teeth during sleep rather than during waking hours. No one knows exactly why children grind their teeth but considerations include improperly aligned teeth or irregular contact between upper and lower teeth, illnesses and other medical conditions (such as nutritional deficiencies, pinworm, allergies, endocrine disorders) and psychological factors including anxiety and stress.

Grinding of the baby teeth rarely results in problems. However, teeth grinding can cause jaw pain, headaches, wear on the teeth and temporomandibular joint disease. Consult your dentist if your child's teeth look worn or if your child complains of tooth sensitivity or pain.

Specific tips to help a child stop grinding his or her teeth include:

Decrease your child's stress, especially just before bed.
Try massage and stretching exercises to relax the muscles.
Make sure your child's diet includes plenty of water dehydration may be linked to teeth grinding.
Ask your dentist to monitor your child's teeth if he or she is a grinder.
No intervention is usually required with preschool-age children. However, older children may need temporary crowns or other methods, such as a night guard, to prevent the grinding.

Link: http://www.medicinenet.com/teeth_grinding_bruxism/article.htm

The habit of grinding, gnashing, grating, or clenching the teeth is termed bruxism, and millions of adults and children are affected by this condition. While its exact cause is unknown, most experts believe that bruxism can occur as a response to increased psychological stress.

Bruxism involves any type of forceful contact between the teeth, whether silent and clenching, or loud and grating. Estimates vary regarding the number of people who suffer from this condition and range from 50-95% of the adult population. Approximately 15% of all children also acquire this condition. Many people are not aware that they have this condition because they grind their teeth at night while asleep, although bruxism can occur during daytime hours as well.

Certain sleep disorders are accompanied by bruxism. Drinking alcohol and taking certain medications (for example, antidepressants) may worsen the bruxism. Malocclusion (improper alignment of the teeth) may also play a causative role or may determine the severity of symptoms related to bruxism. Children may develop bruxism as a response to a cold or other infection and are more likely to develop it when their parents are affected. Some studies show that persons whose personalities may be described as compulsive, controlling, precise, or aggressive have an increased incidence of bruxism.

Symptoms and signs of bruxism, which can vary from mildly irritating to medically dangerous, depending on the severity of the condition, include:

signs of tooth wear, such as fractures of teeth and fillings
facial or jaw pain
making sounds of clenching or grating teeth while sleeping, often noticed by a sleeping partner
headaches
loose teeth
gum damage
tooth sensitivity
Treatment of bruxism involves either behavior modification, such as stress management and relaxation therapy, or mechanical devices such as mouthguards to protect the teeth from the forces of contact. Hypnosis and biofeedback therapies have also been used with success in some individuals with bruxism. If you believe that you may be suffering from bruxism, talk to your dentist, especially if you are experiencing unpleasant symptoms. He/she will be able to evaluate the severity of the problem, correct any existing damage, and help you decide among alternative treatments.

Link: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=57486