Bruxism, commonly known as teeth grinding or clenching, can develop at any age and occurs during the day or when you are sleeping. The following places you at risk of tooth grinding:
- Being stressed or having anxiety
- Medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics
- Drug abuse from amphetamines and cocaine
- Drinking a lot of caffeine
- Snoring
- Sleep apnea may have a relationship with bruxism, depending on the severity of the sleep apnoea
Signs of bruxism:
- Jaw pain
- Fractured and chipped teeth
- Broken fillings
- Headaches (especially when you wake up)
- Generalized sensitivity
- Restlessness during sleep
- Daytime fatigue
If you are worried about tooth grinding, it is important to seek help from your oral health practitioner to help protect your teeth. Your dentist can recommend a night splints. It is made from a hard plastic and relieves some of the pressure transferred to the teeth through grinding. Another recommendation can be intramuscular injections, known as botox injections; this will relax the tight jaw muscles.
Lal S. J., Weber, D. D. S. Bruxism Management. (2021). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482466/
Martynowicz, H., Gac, P., Brzecka, A., Poreba, R., Wojakowska, A., Mazur, G., Smardz, J., & Wieckiewicz, M. (2019). The Relationship between Sleep Bruxism and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Based on Polysomnographic Findings. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(10), 1653. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8101653
Mesko, M.E., Hutton, B., Skupien, J.A. Therapies for bruxism: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Syst Rev 6, 4 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0397-z